it'«iiiji>ii«;' 


Jyf^^^ 


S IC ILY 


A    PILGRIMAGE 


By  II.  T.  TUCKERMAN 

AUTHOR   OF    "a   MONTH   IX   ENGLAND,"   ETC. 


>  1        I    >      <        J        3       > 

>  >       >      J  >        >  >    ■* 


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>  >        >        ■>    »     » 


Fourth  Edition.] 


REDFIELD 

3  4    B  E  E  K  M  A  N    STREET,    NEW    YORK 

1856. 


PUBLISHER'S  ADVERTISEMENT. 


-♦-•"♦- 


The  following  pages  are  re-printed  from  the  London 
edition.  The  work  originally  appeared  in  this  coun- 
t\  try  twelve  years  since,  being  one  of  the  author's  ear- 
liest productions.  The  new  interest  which  the  Eevo- 
lution  of  1848  excited  in  regard  to  the  condition  and 
history  of  Sicily,  and  the  fact  that  no  work  on  the 
subject  is  at  present  in  the  market,  not  less  than  the 
general  favor  with  which  the  present  volume  was  ori- 
ginally received,  have  induced  the  publisher,  with  the 
author's  consent,  to  include  it  in  the  Semi-monthly 
Library. 


.  Ni22Q8l^ 


PKEFACE  TO  THE  FIRST  EDITION. 


-*^»-¥- 


The  celebrated  remark  of  Dr.  Jolinson  respecting  the 
Hebrides  is  singularly  applicable  to  Sicily.  The  an- 
tiquities of  the  island  are  eminently  worthy  of  obser- 
vation ;  but  the  inconveniences  attending  a  visit  to 
them  are  such  as  to  suggest,  even  in  the  mind  of  the 
enthusiastic  traveller,  frequent  doubts  whether  the 
gratification  thus  afforded  is  not  more  than  counter- 
balanced by  the  discomfort  consequently  incurred. 
The  scenery,  too,  is  peculiar,  and  often  unsurpassed 
for  beauty  and  picturesque  effect ;  yet  it  is  only  at 
certain  periods  that  the  weather  is  such  as  to  do  jus- 
tice to  its  characteristic  charms.  The  lono-  and  rieid 
quarantines  to  which  the  voyager  is  liable,  the  want 
of  commodious  inns,  and  the  absence  of  carriage-roads 
to  some  of  the  most  interesting  localities,  are  also  es- 
sential drawbacks  to  the  pleasure  of  the  tourist,  espe- 


viii  PREFACE  TO   THE  FIRST  EDITION. 

cially  if  lie  be  fresh  from  the  superior  facilities  of  the 
continent.  To  one  who  sympathizes  warmly  with  his 
race,  there  are,  in  addition,  many  painful  associations 
constantly  awakened  by  the  existent  poverty  and  deg- 
radation of  the  Sicilians,  but  ill-calculated  to  cheer  his 
sojourn.  If  these  considerations,  however,  are  suffi- 
cient to  deter  the  unadventurous  from  exploring  this 
remarkable  island,  they  afford  no  inconsiderable  mo- 
tive to  one  whom  circumstances  have  lured  within  its 
fertile  precincts,  to  attempt  to  convey  an  idea  to  oth- 
ers of  what  there  has  interested  his  own  mind.  It  is 
with  such  a  view  that  the  following  pages  were  writ- 
ten. The  form  in  which  these  descriptions  and 
thoughts,  suggested  by  a  tour  in  Sicily,  are  presented, 
was  adopted  for  the  purpose  of  avoiding  that  egotisti- 
cal tone  frgm  which  it  is  almost  impossible  to  escape 
in  a  formal  journal,  as  well  as  to  obviate  the  necessity 
of  dwelling  upon  those  unimportant  details  and  cir- 
cumstances which  are  common  to  every  tour  in  Eu- 
rope, and  therefore  too  familiar  to  be  interesting. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Preface, v 

The  Pilgrims, 11 

The  QuARAxnxE, 19 

JouRXEY  TO  Catania, 27 

BiscARi, 38 

VixcENzo  Belltxi,      .        . 45 

A  "Walk  in  Catania, 54 

Syracuse, 62 


72 


JouENET  TO  Palermo, 

The  Capital, S2 

The  Novitiate, 9-i 

VlTTORIO, 105 

Discussion, 121 

An  Episode, 130 

The  Past  and  Present, 139 

Segesta  and  Selinuntrtm, 149 

Sciacca, 162 

Ajhiigentum, 169 

The  Reunion, 1T8 

1* 


€^t  3|c^ilgrinis. 


Yet  to  the  relics  of  thy  splendor  past 

ft 

Shall  pilgrims  pensive,  but  unweariod,  throng. 

CiiiLDK  Harold. 

rpiIERE  is,  perhaps,  no  approach  to  the  Old  World  more 
-*-  impressive  to  the  transatlantic  voyager  than  the  Straits 
of  Gribraltar.  The  remarkable  promontory  which  rises  ab- 
ruptly before  him  is  calculated  to  interest  his  mind,  "wearied 
with  the  monotony  of  sea-life,  not  less  as  an  object  of  great 
natural  curiosity  than  from  the  historical  circumstances  with 
which  it  is  associated.  Anciently  deemed  the  boundary  of 
the  world,  it  was  fabled,  that  at  this  point  Europe  and  Africa 
were  united,  until  riven  asunder  by  Hercules.  Forming  the 
south-western  extremity  of  Andalusia,  and  long  occupied  hs  a 
Moorish  fortress,  it  awakens  the  many  romantic  impressions 
which  embalm  the  history  of  Spain  ;  constituting,  as  it  were, 
the  gate  of  the  Mediterranean,  the  comer  from  the  New 
World  cannot  pass  its  lofty  and  venerable  form  without  feel- 
ing that  he  has  left  the  ocean  whose  waters  lave  his  native 
shore,  and  entered  a  sea  hallowed  by  the  annals  of  antiquity, 
and  renowned  for  scenes  of  southern  luxm-iance  and  beauty. 
It  was  on  a  fine  autumn  night,  that  an  American  ship, 
propelled  by  a  regular  but  gentle  breeze,  glided  through  this 


12  *  SICILY. 

celebrated  cliannel.  The  newly-risen  moon  seemed  to  hang 
just  above  the  horizon,  with  that  magnified  and  brilliant  as- 
pect which  the  clearness  of  the  atmosphere  in  these  climates 
occasions.  Her  soothing  light  illuminated  the  Spanish  coast, 
glittered  on  the  low  crests  of  the  waves,  and  fell  at  intervals  ■ 
upon  the  prominent  points  of  the  majestic  rock.  So  quiet 
was  the  night,  that  the  ripple  of  the  water,  as  if  parted  before 
the  prow  of  the  vessel,  sounded  hoarsely,  and  the  occasional 
orders  of  the  captain,  although  uttered  in  an  ordinary  tone, 
came  with  a  startling  distinctness  to  the  ear.  Upon  the 
quarter-deck  stood  two  spectators  of  the  scene,  apparently  ab- 
sorbed in  regarding  its  novel  features,  or  yielding  to  the 
thoughts  it  had  suggested.  The  elder  was  a  man  somewhat 
beyond  the  prime  of  life,  with  one  of  those  countenances 
equally  indicative  of  shrewdness  and  benevolence,  so  fre- 
quently encountered  in  America,  and,  without  boasting  any 
very  striking  lineament,  convey  the  idea  of  intelligence,  but 
not  necessarily  of  genius,  and  good  feeling  without  ardor. 
Beside  him,  her  arm  within  his,  and  her  eyes  turned  in  the 
same  direction,  stood  a  girl  of  graceful  figure  and  medium 
height.  Her  face  was  not  strictly  beautiful,  if  such  a  term 
is  only  applicable  to  great  regularity  of  profile  ;  but  to  those, 
who,  abjuring  this  conventional  ordeal  of  female  loveliness,  re- 
gard beauty  as  chiefly  dependent  on  expression,  her  counte- 
nance alone  would  excite  immediate  interest.  She  was  one 
of  those  beings  who  vindicate  the  attractiveness  of  her  sex 
beyond  the  most  perfect  models  of  beauty  ;  whose  eye,  smile, 
and  manner  are  so  instantly  and  perfectly  inspired  by  the 
spirit  within  them,  that  criticism  is  disarmed,  standards  of 
the  beautiful  annihilated,  and  we  are  only  sensible  of  being 
interested,  without  precisely  knowing  how  or  why.  Perhaps 
the  secret  lies  in  the  very  depths  of  character.  Ingenuous- 
jaess  and  enthusiasm  were  the  active  elements  of  her  nature, 


THE  PILGRIMS.  13 

and  through  their  influence  it  was  that  a  spirit  of  beauty  lived 
in  her  glance,  voice,  and  manner,  more  winning  than  the  finest 
outline  or  the  richest  tint.  It  was  the  beauty  of  expression, 
combined  with  the  graces  of  youth  and  rare  natural  gifts — 
of  candid,  free,  and  earnest  expression,  and,  therefore,  not  to 
be  described  any  more  than  any  other  charm,  which,  like 
music,  addresses  at  once  both  soul  and  sense. 

The  father  of  Isabel  Otley  began  life  with  a  sensitiveness 
of  temperament  and  depth  of  feeling  which  ill  fitted  him  for 
the  constant  contact  of  worldly  influences  which  scenes  of 
trafiic  unavoidably  engender.  Yet  at  the  period  when  it  be- 
came necessary  for  him  to  fix  upon  an  occupation,  the  only 
interest  his  friends  were  able  to  exert  in  his  behalf  lay  in  the 
channels  of  trade,  and  soon  after  arriving  at  manhood,  he 
found  himself  fairly  embarked  in  mercantile  pursuits,  in  the 
commercial  emporium  of  the  New  World.  His  attention  and 
probity  won  him  universal  respect  and  confidence,  but  the 
effect  of  uncongenial  occupation  was  to  give  to  his  manner  a 
reserve  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature,  which  unhappily  pre- 
vented his  associates  from  discerning  many  of  the  most  esti- 
mable qualities  of  his  character.  A  twelve  month's  residence 
in  the  south  of  Europe  during  his  youth  had,  in  no  small 
degree,  confirmed  his  natural  aversion  to  the  path  of  life  in 
which  circumstances  had  placed  him ;  but  soon  after  he  had 
entered  upon  it,  too  far  to  retreat  with  convenience,  a  happier 
agency  mingled  with  and  neutralized  the  unpromising  hues 
of  his  destiny.  In  the  course  of  business  it  became  necessary 
for  him  to  visit  Virginia.  While  there,  making  one  of  those 
brief  but  pleasant  sojourns  at  the  house  of  a  wealthy  planter 
which  the  frank  hospitality  of  the  south  renders  so  delightful 
to  the  stranger,  he  was  attacked  by  a  fever.  A  protracted 
convalescence  ensued,  during  which  the  amplest  opportunity 
was  afforded  him  of  realizing  the  sympathy  of  taste  and  feel- 


14  SieiLY. 

ing  existing  between  Lis  host's  only  daughter  and  himself. 
Who  can  wonder  that  his  heart  sprang  to  meet  the  boon  of 
love  with  all  its  long-repressed  energy  ?  Frederick  Otley  left 
the  mansion  of  his  friend  in  a  mood  altogether  new  and  de- 
lightful. An  affection  had  been  born  in  his  bosom  which 
gave  new  interest  to  existence  and  constant  impulse  to  action. 
In  a  few  months  life  had  assumed  a  far  hai^pier  aspect ;  for 
there  were  hours  in  every  passing  day,  and  whole  weeks  in 
every  summer,  when  he  was  at  liberty  to  enjoy  nature,  books, 
and  society,  with  a  being  whose  sympathies  were  all  his  own. 
Laboring  with  renewed  assiduity,  he  was  enabled,  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years,  to  effect  the  object  for  which  he  had 
long  toiled,  and  retire  with  his  wife  and  daughter  from  the 
cares  of  business,  and  the  bustle  of  the  metropolis,  to  her 
paternal  home,  made  solitary  long  before  by  the  death  of  its 
venerable  proprietor.  In  this  beautiful  retreat  were  passed 
the  three  happiest  years  of  his  life — too  tranquil  and  blessed, 
it  would  seem,  to  continue,  for  its  peaceful  and  happy  tenor 
was  suddenly  and  awfully  interrupted  by  the  death  of  her 
who  was  at  once  its  hope  and  inspiration.  For  a  short  time 
the  broken  spirit  of  the  mourner  appeared  to  derive  consola- 
tion from  the  scenes  once  familiar  with  her  presence,  but  in 
the  end  they  seemed  to  agonize  rather  than  soothe.  The  old 
elms  about  the  church-yard,  as  they  waved  in  the  twilight,  no 
longer  whispered  to  his  saddened  fancy  that  her  spirit  was 
near  and  conscious  of  his  devoted  grief,  but  moaned  a  melan- 
choly echo  to  his  own  despairing  thoughts.  The  favorite 
walk,  instead  of  reminding  him  that  she  had  been,  awakened 
only  the  gloomy  conviction  that  she  was  not.  It  was  then 
that  he  determined  to  follow  the  oft-repeated  advice  of  his 
kindred,  and  go  abroad.  Leaving  his  daughter  in  the  care 
of  her  aunt,  he  departed  on  his  lonely  travels,  not  to  forget 
his  bereavement  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure,  or  veil  it  in  the 


THE  PILGRIMS.  15 

excitement  of  novelty,  but  to  interest,  if  possible,  bis  mind, 
now  torpid  from  inaction  and  sbadowed  by  woe.  The  letters 
of  Otley,  dated  from  different  parts  of  the  continent,  consti- 
tuted, for  several  years,  one  of  the  chief  pleasures  of  the  re- 
tired family.  Through  them  his  daughter  learned  to  esti- 
mate the  mind  and  principles  of  her  father,  and,  combined 
with  her  childish  recollections  of  him,  they  served  to  cherish 
in  her  breast  a  sentiment  of  filial  love,  as  profound  as  it  was 
fervent.  Often  in  these  epistles  had  he  spoken  of  returning, 
but  the  intention  was  always  contravened  by  some  new  plan 
or  unexpected  circumstance.  Indeed,  the  attraction  of  Euro- 
pean life  is  generally  enhanced  by  a  return  to  it,  after  an 
interval  spent  in  other  scenes.  It  is  on  revisiting  southern 
Europe  especially  that  an  American  is  best  prepared  justly 
to  estimate  and  duly  to  feel  all  that  is  peculiar  in  the  two 
hemispheres.  The  scene  before  him  no  longer  excites  by  its 
novelty.  He  is  no  longer  a  bewildered  stranger.  With  a 
more  chastened  but  deeper  interest,  he  regards  the  objects 
around  him.  With  a  calmer  and  more  intelligent  patriotism, 
he  recalls  the  characteristics  of  his  native  land.  The  foreign 
insignia  which  meets  his  view  has  something  of  a  well-known 
aspect ;  and  the  eager  gaze  of  curiosity  is  exchanged  for  the 
quiet  glance  of  recognition.  Annoyances  which  he  once 
strongly  deprecated  now  provoke  a  smile,  for  old  acquaint- 
ance has  softened  them ;  and  happy  influences  wake  a  thrill 
of  delight,  for  they  are  symbols  of  past  pleasure,  as  well  as 
pledges  of  future  enjoyment.  The  landscape  is  arrayed  in 
new  charms,  the  church  breathes  a  dearer  solemnity,  the  pic- 
ture glows  with  a  brighter  expressiveness,  for  often,  since  he 
saw  them  last,  has  memory  brooded  over  their  quiet  spells, 
amid  the  noisy  activity  of  hi^i  distant  country.  The  favorite 
aria  rises  with  a  richer  cadence,  the  chime  of  the  campanile 
steals  upon  the  night-breeze  with  a  holier  music,  and  the  soft 


16  SICILY. 

accents  of  the  south  seem  thrice  beautiful;  for,  since  last 
heard,  they  have  again  and  again  been  borne,  on  the  wings  of 
fancy,  across  the  trackless  deep  to  his  delighted  ear.  Ab- 
sence has  endeared  what  taste  holds  sacred  in  the  Old 
World,  while  a  return  to  the  bracing  air  of  a  young  republic 
has  retaught  the  inestimable  value  of  the  principles  which 
have  fled  thither  for  nurture,  from  the  clogged  and  heavy  at- 
mosphere of  the  old  monarchies.  In  truth,  no  ideas  can  be 
more  false  than  many  of  those  which  it  requires  at  least  one 
sojourn  of  an  American  in  Europe  to  correct.  There  is  a 
vague  notion  prevalent  among  the  untravelled,  that  abroad 
there  are  many  and  peculiar  means  of  enjoyment.  In  one 
sense  this  is  true ;  but  is  it  enough  borne  in  mind,  that  the 
only  worthy  pleasures  peculiar  to  Europe  are  those  of  taste, 
and  that  to  enjoy  these  a  certain  preparedness  is  requisite? 
The  truth  is,  the  legitimate  gratifications  of  southern  Europe 
are  eminently  meditative.  They  are  alike  incompatible  with 
a  spirit  of  restless  ambition  or  gainful  passion.  They  address 
themselves  to  the  imaginative  and  enthusiastic,  to  the  con- 
templative and  intellectual ;  to  those  who  believe  there  is  a 
greater  good  than  worldly  success,  a  richer  boon  than  the  dis- 
tinctions of  office ;  to  those  who  believe  that  the  process  of 
improvement  does  not  consist  wholly  in  action ;  to  those  who 
do  not  measure  individual  advancement  merely  by  the  direct 
results  of  intellect ;  to  those  who  have  faith  in  the  refining 
influences  of  art  and  nature,  and  a  life  of  "  meek  self-content," 
passed  in  the  free  and  independent  exercise  of  thought,  im- 
agination, and  love ;  and  who,  while  they  acknowledge  fealty 
to  the  demands  of  active  duty,  recognize  the  truth,  that  the 
mind,  like  the  earth,  is  enritlicd  by  lying  fallow,  and  that  a 
tranquil  life,  if  permitted  by  an  individual's  destiny,  may  be 
rendered  more  truly  profitable  than  one  passed  in  the  most 
successful  and  renowned  course  of  active  usefulness.  In  such 


THE  PILGRIMS.  17 

considerations  lav  the  spell  which  prolonged   the  exile  of 
Otley. 

In  the  meantime  Isabel  had  reaped  the  advantages  of  a 
faithful  private  education  and  occasional  visits  to  the  princi- 
pal cities  of  her  country,  and  found  herself,  on  her  eighteenth 
birthday,  happily  domesticated  in  the  home  of  her  childhood, 
with  the  relatives  who  had  fulfilled  towards  her  the'  duties  of 
parents.  At  this  time  she  unfolded  to  her  uncle  the  long- 
cherished  design  of  seeking  and  surprising  her  father  in 
Europe.  He  heard  the  proposal  with  surprise,  but  could  not 
long  withhold  his  consent,  and  as  Otley 's  last  letter  expressed 
an  intention  of  making  the  tour  of  Sicily,  it  was  soon  deter- 
mined that  they  should  take  advantage  of  an  excellent  op- 
portunity which  presented  itself,  and  sail  directly  for  that 
island.  In  assenting  to  the  wishes  of  Isabel,  to  whom  he  was 
strongly  attached,  her  uncle,  who  had  travelled  extensively  in 
early  life,  was  influenced  rather  by  a  conviction  that  the  tour 
would  benefit  her  mind  and  health  than  from  any  deep  sym- 
pathy in  her  views.  CliiFord  Frazier  was  a  great  admirer  of 
the  institutions  and  manners  of  his  country,  and  a  thorough 
utilitarian.  Isabel  Otley  was  an  ardent  and  gifted  idealist. 
In  her  character  were  combined  earnest  and  affectionate  feel- 
ing, with  singular  strength  and  independence  of  mind.  '•  There 
are  natures  which  seem,  by  virtue  of -some  innate  principle,  to 
preserve,  almost  miraculously,  their  original  beauty  and  fresh- 
ness." Thus  was  it  with  her.  She  possessed  that  depth  of 
sentiment,  that  earnest  sympathy  with  what  is  deep  in  the 
experience  of  the  heart,  and  what  is  exalted  in  the  aspirations 
of  the  soul,  which  gives  to  the  gifts  and  graces  of  female 
character  an  angelic  semblance.  She  had  not  learned  to  re- 
pose upon  a  mere  conventional  philosophy.  The  blighting 
breath  of  artificial  life  had  not  crept  like  a  frost  over  the  fair 
and  flowery  domain  of  her  truthful  spirit.     Powers  of  no  or-^ 


18  SICILY. 

dinary  strength  aud  captivation  were  eusbrined  in  an  inner 
and  holy  light,  which  chastened  and  rendered  starlike  the 
native  brilliancy  of  her  mind,  and  subdued  to  a  deeper  flow 
the  earnest  current  of  her  feelings. 


€^i  (Siumlm. 


The  doing  evil  to  avoid  an  evil 

Camiot  be  good.  Wallenstkin. 

ON  a  lovely  afternoon  they  approached  the  harbor  of  Mes- 
sina. The  scene  was  surpassingly  beautiful  as  the  sun 
descended.  On  the  one  side  rose  the  high  hills  of  Calabria, 
and  on  the  other  the  noble  range  of  the  Sicilian  mountains. 
The  broadly  undulating  shapes  of  the  latter  were  clothed 
with  the  vivid  verdure  of  the  lemon  and  orange  trees,  and  the 
darker  evergreen  of  the  olive.  On  their  tops,  at  intervals, 
volumes  of  pearly  mist  reposed,  and  elsewhere  the  edge  of 
their  summits  was  marked  with  the  distinctness  of  a  chiselled 
line  upon  the  clear  back-ground  of  the  horizon.  The  blue 
smoke  of  the  coal-pits  above  wreathed  itself  peacefully  along 
the  green  slopes,  and  up  into  the  bright  sky.  Clusters  of 
white  habitations  were  plmted  here  and  there  in  the  midst 
of  the  verdant  shrubbery,  some  of  them  seeming  to  hang 
from  an  impending  cliff.  At  a  short  distance  from  these 
groups  of  habitations  rose  the  square  white  towers  of  the 
churches,  pointing  from  the  greensward  to  the  serene  heaven 
above,  their  ancient  hue  contrasting  finely  with  the  freshness 
of  the  beautiful   temple  of  nature  amid  which  they  were 


20  SICILY. 

reared.  Nearer  the  shore,  broad  Imes  of  sandy  earth  indi- 
cated the  track  of  some  mountain-torrent,  and  the  many  and 
rich  tints  of  the  withered  vineyards  reflected,  in  brilliant 
masses,  the  lateral  rays  of  the  setting  sun.  To  give  life  to 
the  view,  the  figure  of  a  passing  pedestrian  occasionally  flit- 
ted across  the  beach,  and  a  knot  of  fishermen  appeared  near 
the  line  of  blue  water,  watching  the  progress  of  the  vessel. 
The  clear  chime  of  the  Ave  Maria  stole  softly  from  the  val- 
leys. All  was  peaceful,  rich,  and  lovely  as  the  land  of  promise ; 
and  when  the  sound  of  the  vesper-bell  thus  floated  over  the 
sea,  it  seemed  to  Isabel  as  if  Nature  was  whispering  a  call  to 
her  children  from  one  of  the  fairest  of  her  sanctuaries,  to  lure 
them  to  join  in  her  evening  prayer. 

Before  midnight  the  ship  was  safely  moored  on  that  side 
of  the  port  of  Messina  appropriated  to  vessels  in  quarantine, 
and  the  morning  light  revealed  yet  another  prospect  of  sin- 
gular beauty.  At  the  foot  of  the  picturesque  range  of  moun- 
tains, a  part  of  which  they  had  so  attentively  viewed  the 
previous  evening,  appeared  the  city,  the  lofty  dome  of  its 
cathedral,  and  the  finely-wrought  towers  of  the  church  of  St. 
Gregorio  rising  conspicuously  among  the  dwellings.  Half- 
way up  the  hills,  behind  the  town,  stand  two  old  forts,  one 
of  which  rises  from  a  grassy  esplanade  in  admirable  keeping 
with  its  massive  gray  walls,  and  between  these  fortifications 
is  reared  the  venerable  monastery,  with  its  dark  rugged  tower, 
in  which  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  took  refuge  on  his  way  to 
the  Holy  Land.  At  the  water's  edge  appears  the  Marina, 
lined  with  spacious  buildings ;  and  here  and  there,  half  hid- 
den by  the  shipping  at  the  quay,  groups  might  be  seen  scat- 
tered along  this  wide  promenade,  and  vehicles  moving  to  and 
fro  in  rapid  succession.  Yet,  delightful  as  was  the  landscape, 
Isabel  and  her  uncle  would  gladly  have  abandoned  their 
favorable   position,  and  joined    those  who    constituted   the 


THE   QUARANTINE.  21 

moving  figures  of  the  panorama — for-  before  their  mental 
vision  was  the  less  cheering  prospect  of  a  Sicilian  quarantine. 
Not  without  grateful  emotions,  however,  did  Isabel  turn  to 
the  lovely  picture,  which,  during  many  days  of  anxiety  and 
weariness,  was  thus  spread  out  before  them.  0  Nature  !  how 
like  a  kind  mother  thou  art !  when  thy  wayward  children 
are  so  ingenious  in  devising  methods  of  mutual  torment,  with 
what  a  quiet  and  constant  tenderness  dost  thou  minister  to 
their  pleasure !  How  often  did  Isabel  forget  the  ennui  of 
confinement,  and  lose,  in  bright  imaginings,  all  sense  of  her 
restricted  condition  in  perusing  the  landscape  before  her.  She 
beheld  it  in  every  variety  of  aspect ;  at  sunrise,  and  in  the 
mellow  light  of  evening,  when  clouds  rested  over  it  as  a  cano- 
py, and  when  lit  up  into  cheerfulness  by  the  noonday  glare. 
She  saw  it  when  rendered  still  more  enchanting  by  the  moon- 
beams, and  watched  the  shadows  of  night  as  they  stole  over 
it,  till  nauirht  but  the  dark  forms  of  the  mountains  and  the 
flickering  lamps  of  the  town  were  visible.  She  beheld  it 
shrouded  in  the  gloom  of  the  storm  and  spanned  by  the 
glowing  rainbow. 

"  Of  life's  annoyances,"  said  Frazier,  "few  are  more  severe 
than  a  Sicilian  quarantine.  A  man  of  sense  can  always  de- 
rive consolation,  when  suffering  from  the  regulations  of 
government,  if  he  is  able  to  perceive  the  utility  of  their  en- 
forcement. It  is  gratifying,  when  our  convenience  is  invaded 
by  the  operation  of  law,  to  feel  there  is  reason  for  our  dis- 
comfort, that  we  are  making  an  appropriate  sacrifice  to  the 
general  good.  Such  a  consideration  is  sufficient  to  still  the 
voice  of  complaint  in  every  reflecting  bosom.  It  is  the  irra- 
tional and  indiscriminate  course  pursued  here  which  renders 
the  quarantine  so  vexatious.  The  slightest  rumor,  the  most 
unauthentic  a  ted  report,  or  the  veriest  whim,  is  deemed  suffi- 
cient ground  for  sending  away  ships  of  every  nation,  or  con- 


22  SICILY. 

signing  them  to  an  indefinite  suspension  of  intercourse.  It  is 
now  doubtful  whether  the  time  assigned  will  behold  us  at 
liberty ;  and  the  healthiness  of  the  place  of  our  embarkation, 
and  the  unquestionable  validity  of  our  bill  of  health,  and  the 
excellent  condition  of  all  on  board,  will  not  weigh  a  feather 
in  the  scale.  The  low  damp  chambers  of  the  lazzaretto  are 
quite  calculated  to  induce  sickness,  while  the  fastidious  are 
in  no  degree  likely  to  be  cheered  by  the  prospect  of  being 
buried,  '  unknelled  and  uncoffined,'  in  a  hastily-dug  pit,  and 
covered  with  quick-lime." 

Surrounded  by  vessels  of  every  name  and  nation,  they 
eagerly  looked  for  the  arrival  of  Christmas,  the  period  desig- 
nated for  their  landing.  Sometimes,  attended  by  a  guard, 
they  perambulated  the  yard  of  the  lazzaretto.^  or  conversed 
with  acquaintances  through  a  high  railing.  On  these  occa- 
sions it  was  sometimes  their  fortune  to  behold  the  letters 
they  had  carefully  prepared  for  distant  friends,  cut  uncere- 
moniously, bathed  in  vinegar  and  smoked  in  sulphur,  till  all 
their  decent  aspect  was  destroyed,  and  half  their  contents 
obliterated.  Another  time  they  heard  vague  reports  that 
their  durance  would  be  prolonged,  and  returned  to  the  nar- 
row precincts  of  the  vessel  in  a  state  of  the  most  unenviable 
suspense.  Sometimes  they  amused  themselves  in  watching 
the  fish  and  sea-nettles  in  the  clear  tide  around,  and  at  others 
in  tracing,  with  a  spy-glass,  some  distant  line  of  the  prospect, 
or  endeavoring  to  discern  the  signal  of  an  approaching  ship. 
At  night  the  monotonous  cheering  of  the  guards,  as  they  vo- 
ciferously passed  the  watch-word  from  vessel  to  vessel,  or  the 
twang  of  an  antiquated  violin,  with  which  some  neighbor  be- 
guiled the  hours,  disturbed  their  slumbers. 

The  festive  day  drew  nigh,  on  the  eve  of  which  the  Ital- 
ians feast  upon  eels,  and  the  morning  of  which  the  strangers 
fondly  hoped  would  shine  upon  their  landing.     Ere  then  they 


THE   QUARANTINE.  23 

received  notice,  that,  until  farther  orders,  they  could  not  be 
admitted  to  ^:>r<2^i^we.  Such  is  a  quarantine  in  Sicily.  Brib- 
ing will  evade  almost  any  of  the  legal  penalties  of  the  coun- 
try, but  the  sanitary  laws  are  enforced  with  a  rigidness  wor- 
thy of  more  important  objects  connected  with  the  general 
welfare.  The  joyous  anniversary  arrived.  Isabel  pictured 
its  celebration  across  the  wide  waters  in  the  circle  of  her 
friends.  She  saw,  in  fancy,  the  glad  meeting  about  the  fire- 
side ;  she  heard  well-known  voices  interchange  the  gratula- 
tions  of  the  season  ;  she  beheld  dear  forms  moving  up  the 
aisle  her  infant  feet  had  trod  ;  she  felt  the  glow  of  devotion 
stirred  by  the  preacher's  earnest  description  of  His  meekness 
and  self-sacrifice,  who  centuries  past,  was  born  in  Bethlehem. 
She  saw  her  kindred  gather  around  the  festive  board,  and 
caught  the  tone  of  loved  voices  breathing  fond  hopes  for  her 
welfare.  She  cared  not  to  trace  the  picture  farther,  for  she 
had  taken  the  blessed  thought  to  her  heart,  that  she  was  re- 
membered. 

For  two  days  the  wind  had  been  free  and  strong,  and  on 
this  night  it  increased  to  a  gale.  The  moon  alternately  shone 
clearly  forth,  and  illuminated  the  edges  of  an  intervening 
cloud,  sending  down  a  pale  and  melancholy  light.  In  an 
hour  it  blew  a  hurricane  ;  one  of  those  sudden  storms,  pecu- 
liar to  the  Mediterranean,  whose  desolate  bowlings  and  sud- 
den gusts  drown  all  other  sounds.  Suddenly,  as  they  stood 
upon  the  quarter-deck,  a  noise  like  the  snapping  of  metal-bars 
was  audible,  and  one  of  the  many  craft  around  shot  from 
among  the  vessels,  and  dashed  forth  steadily  and  with  a 
startling  rapidity,  as  if  under  a  press  of  canvass.  Her  masts 
and  dark  tracery  were  relieved  against  the  half-clear,  half- 
sullen  atmosphere.  All  was  hushed,  save  the  deep  solemn 
roar  of  the  gale.  She  seemed  not  a  thing  subject  to  human 
government,  and  as  she  silently  passed  onward,  and  was  lost 


24  SICILY. 

to  sight  in  tlie  gloom,  the  legends  she  had  read  of  spectre 
ships  came  forcibly  to  the  mind  of  Isabel.  A  few  moments 
passed,  and  the  whole  fleet  beside  them  broke  their  moorings. 
Then,  as  the  vessels  were  thrown  together,  and  spars  and 
cordage  intermingled,  the  crash  of  yards,  the  bursting  of 
ropes,  the  grating  of  chains,  the  voices  of  command,  and  the 
exclamations  of  fear,  uttered  in  Italian,  Grerman,  and  Eng- 
lish, mingled  with  the  unceasing  roar  of  the  tempest.  Now 
and  then  it  lulled,  only  to  be  renewed  with  greater  violence. 
The  iron  rings  imbedded  in  the  old  wall  of  the  lazzarctto^ 
which  held  the  flotilla,  had  burst  asunder,  and  thus  caused 
the  accident.  It  was  startling  to  see  the  fleet  which  had  sur- 
rounded them  with  a  forest  of  masts,  as  it  were  by  magic,  in 
the  space  of  a  few  moments,  all  at  once  depart.  It  was  thril- 
ling to  look  over  the  bulwarks,  and  behold  the  broad  bay 
covered  with  foam,  and  perfectly  solitary  !  Most  of  the  ves- 
sels were  thrown  on  a  strip  of  land  not  far  distant,  and  all 
of  them,  in  some  degree,  damaged.  Those  which  had  nearly 
performed  the  required  quarantine,  being  brought  in  contact 
with  the  non-admitted  vessels,  were  declared  sfratto  (ex- 
pelled). There  was  enough  of  destruction  around  to  enable 
Isabel  to  realize  the  sufierings  of  those  exposed  to  the  un- 
mitigated fury  of  the  storm.  At  every  new  onset  of  the  in- 
visible but  resistless  power,  she  seemed  to  see  the  surges 
whelming  some  hapless  bark,  and  feel  the  shudder  which  fol- 
lows the  first  deep  crash  of  the  careening  fabric.  In  the 
pauses  of  the  storm,  she  thought  her  ear  caught  the  quickly 
whispered  prayer,  and  on  its  rising  whirl,  the  last  agonizing 
cry  seemed  to  come.  The  next  day  brought  them  accounts 
of  the  disasters  of  the  night.  "  If  all  this  damage,"  observed 
Frazier,  "  had  been  incurred  in  an  Atlantic  port,  it  would  be 
instantly  repaired  by  government  or  individuals.  All  the 
losses  are  attributable  to  the  insecurity  of  the  fastenings.     A 


THE   QUARANTINE.  25 

Sicilian  quarantine  exposes  a  man  to  the  combined  evils  of 
an  abridgment  of  liberty,  discomfort,  suspense,  and  loss." 
During  this  and  many  other  of  her  uncle's  complaining  mo- 
ments, Isabel  was  quietly  regarding  the  scene  around  her, 
now  clothed  with  renewed  beauty,  and  meditating  upon  the 
prospect  of  that  re-union,  the  hope  of  which  had  brought  her 
thither.  When  an  important  object  is  ever  present  to  the 
mind,  lesser  evils  vanish  ;  and  so  much  of  uncertainty  hung 
over  the  enterprise  of  the  fair  pilgrim,  that  she  scarcely  knew 
what  circumstances  were  best  adapted  to  promote  it,  and 
therefore  was  more  resigned  to  the  course  of  events.  Her 
uncle,  buoyed  by  no  such  faith  or  expectancy,  felt  more  keenly 
the  inconveniences  of  the  pilgrimage. 

There  are  few  situations,  however,  of  unalleviated  dis- 
comfort, and  accordingly  it  was  not  long  before  an  agreeable 
circumstance  enlivened  the  monotony  of  their  durance.  On 
board  the  adjoining  vessel  they  had  frequently  observed  a 
young  man,  of  graceful  mien,  and  handsome,  intelligent  fea- 
tures, apparently  the  only  passenger  ;  and,  on  one  occasion, 
when  they  were  visited  by  some  friends  from  shore,  he  was 
introduced  to  their  acquaintance.  Thenceforth  their  inter- 
course was  constant  and  interesting.  Count  Vittorio  was  a 
native  of  Sicily,  and  had  just  returned  from  a  visit  to  one  of 
the  Italian  cities.  To  the  engaging  manners  and  enthusiasm 
of  the  South,  he  united  talents  of  rare  native  power,  greatly 
improved  by  study  and  "travel.  His  society  proved  invalua- 
ble to  the  strangers,  and  he  was  no  less  delighted  to  hold 
communion  with  two  such  pleasing  representatives  of  a  coun- 
try in  whose  institutions  he  felt  deeply  interested.  Frazier 
was  happy  to  find  so  attentive  an  auditor,  and  never  became 
weary  of  expatiating  on  the  political  advantages  and  moral 
pre-eminence  of  his  native  land  ;  while  Isabel  found  still 
greater  pleasure  in  the  vivid  descriptions  the  count  eloquently 

2 


26  SICILY. 

furnished  of  the  arts,  literature,  and  antiquities  of  the  classic 
region  with  which  he  was  so  familiar.  In  such  conversations, 
many  hours  of  the  tedious  day  were  beguiled  of  their  weari- 
ness. The  acquaintance  thus  formed,  soon  ripened  into  mu- 
tual confidence  ;  and  it  was  arranged  that  they  should  pro- 
ceed in  company  through  the  island.  Their  hopes  were  soon 
unexpectedly  gratified  by  receiving,  on  a  delightful  evening, 
permission  to  land.  How  eagerly  did  they  spring  from  the 
boat's  prow  upon  the  beach,  and  hasten  to  the  yard  of  the 
Health-office  !  A  few  moments  of  ceremony  sufficed  ;  the 
little  iron  gate  was  thrown  open,  and  they  gladly  hurried 
through,  like  emancipated  prisoners. 


Travel  in  the  younger  sort  is  the  part  of  education  ;  in  the  elder,  the  part  of  ex- 
perience.— Lord  Bacon. 

IT  was  noon  before  the  travellers  left  Messina.  On  emerg- 
ing from  the  suburbs  into  the  open  country,  while  the 
cheerful  sunlight  was  around  them,  showers  were  visible  in 
the  distance.  There  is  something  exhilarating,  in  the  high- 
est degree,  in  the  propitious  commencement  of  a  journey. 
Never  till  this  moment  did  it  seem  to  Isabel  that  her  pil- 
griaiage  had  actually  begun  ;  and  as  she  cast  her  eyes  over 
the  blue  waters  to  the  pretty  town  upon  the  Calabrian  coast, 
— that  Rhegium  whither  St.  Paul  repaired  after  his  ship- 
wreck, now  enveloped  in  a  transparent  mist,  and  glanced  at 
the  bright  leaves  of  the  orange-trees  near  by,  a  pleasing  con- 
fidence took  possession  of  her  mind,  which  seemed  the  happy 
assurance  of  success.  The  road  displayed  at  every  turn  the 
most  delightful  scenery.  On  the  one  side  stretched  the  sea  ;  on 
the  other  rose  the  mountains,  Etna,  covered  with  a  snowy 
drapery,  reared  itself  above  them  ;  and  olive  plantations  lay 
immediately  beneath  their  gaze.  Sometimes  they  crossed  a 
Jiumare — the  broad  bed  of  a  mountain  torrent  covered  with 
stones,  and  extending  from  the  midst  of  the  hills  down  to 


28  SICILY. 

the  shore.  These  long  and  stony  tracks,  shooting  through 
the  trees  and  herbage,  with  their  barren  and  stern  aspect,  are 
no  ordinary  emblems  of  destruction.  The  water,  collected 
in  some  natural  basin  in  the  mountains,  rushes  impetuously 
down,  sweeping  everything  before  it,  and  leaving  a  long  line 
of  rocks  and  earth  to  mark  its  devastating  course.  It  is  but 
a  few  years  since  this  carriage  road  was  completed,  and  the 
part  of  it  which  our  party  were  now  traversing  gives  ample 
evidence  of  the  labor  it  cost.  In  many  places  lofty  hills  have 
been  excavated,  and  massive  ranges  of  rock  cut  through. 
The  rough  sides  thus  presented  to  view  display  the  various 
oxydes  which  constitute  the  soil.  Some  of  these  cliffs,  when 
moistened  by  a  recent  rain,  indicate,  in  bright  tints,  the  dif- 
ferent strata  of  which  they  are  comjDOsed,  and  as  one  hurries 
by  them,  afford  a  striking  evidence  of  the  geological  richness 
of  the  island. 

Night  fell  before  they  reached  the  village  destined  for 
their  quarters.  It  consisted  of  two  long  rows  of  stone 
houses,  separated  by  a  muddy  street,  so  narrow  as  scarcely  to 
permit  the  passage  of  a  carriage.  As  they  entered,  its  ap- 
pearance struck  Isabel,  whose  fancy  contrasted  it  with  the 
thriving  and  cheerful  villages  of  her  own  country,  as  the  most 
dreary  assemblage  of  human  dwellings  she  had  ever  seen. 
Here  and  there  a  light  glimmered  from  one  of  the  low  doors, 
or  an  old  crone,  in  ragged  habiliments,  raised  a  torch  above 
her  head,  and  peered  curiously  at  the  rumbling  vehicle.  The 
dogs  of  the  place,  lank,  wretched  curs,  rushed  forth  and  barked 
at  the  horses.  All  else  was  still  and  gloomy.  Isabel  drew 
her  cloak  about  her  and  descended  at  the  locanda^  in  a  mood 
quite  the  reverse  of  that  which  had  marked  the  early  part  of 
her  ride.  Woe  to  the  fastidious  traveller  who  has  been  only 
accustomed  to  the  delightful  accommodations  of  an  English 
inn,  when  first  he  enters  a  Sicilian  locanda  !     All  the  visions 


JOURNEY  TO  CATANIA.  29 

of  comfort  which  have  lightened  the  weariness  of  his  eve- 
ning's travel  are  dissipated  in  a  moment.  He  ascends  a  long 
and  steep  flight  of  stone  steps,  and  enters  a  cold  chamber,  in 
which  are  a  few  chairs  and  an  old  table.  At  one  end  of  the 
room  are  two  or  three  alcoves,  containing  iron  bedsteads,  and 
divided  from  the  apartment  by  dingy  curtains.  A  few  time- 
stained  pictures  hang  about  the  wall.  The  hostess  appears, 
bearing  a  brazier  filled  with  ignited  charcoal,  which  she  places 
under  the  table.  By  the  light  of  a  lamp  of  ancient  form  she 
spreads  the  meagre  repast ;  after  which  you  are  at  liberty  to 
retire,  and  dream,  if  you  can,  of  a  blazing  fire,  a  corpulent 
host,  and  excellent  cheer.  The  novelty  of  the  scene  was 
amusing  to  Isabel,  and  sweet  slumbers  soon  made  her  forget 
its  forbidding  features. 

Early  the  next  morning  their  journey  was  resumed.  The 
country  now  presented  an  appearance  of  still  greater  fertility. 
Plains,  covered  with  fields  of  flax  and  lupens,  extensive  vine- 
yards, now  denuded  of  their  foliage,  but  planted  in  a  soil  of 
the  finest  loam,  and  mulberry-trees,  of  the  most  fantastic 
shapes,  diversified  the  face  of  the  country.  As  the  dawn  ad- 
vanced, every  object  acquired  a  fresher  tint,  and  at  the  in- 
stance of  Isabel  they  all  left  the  carriage  to  enjoy  the  scene 
more  freely. 

'•  I  have  heard  much  of  the  deceptiveness  of  apparent  dis- 
tances," said  Isabel,  "  but  this  strikes  me  as  the  most  re- 
markable I  ever  knew.  Are  you  quite  sure,  uncle,  that  we  are 
eight  miles  from  yonder  snow  ?"  pointing  to  the  summit  of 
Etna,  which  was  seemingly  but  a  short  distance  on  their  right. 

"  It  is  at  least  as  far  off  as  that,"  he  replied,  "  although 
we  feel  so  keenly  the  cold  air  it  engenders.  And  mark,  Isa- 
bel, what  a  contrast  is  before  us.  In  this  field  the  laborers 
are  mowing  a  fine  crop  of  green  barley,  which  looks  as  well 
as  the  grass  of  our  meadows  in  June ;  while  beside  us,  the 


30  SICILY. 

sides  of  the  moimtain  are  deeply  covered  with  snow.  We 
seem  literally  walking  between  summer  and  winter." 

At  this  moment  the  dark  cloud  which  hung  along  the 
eastern  horizon  became  fringed  with  hues  of  gold  ;  the  vege- 
tation around  assumed  more  vivid  tints  ;  the  villages  scat- 
tered over  the  broad  sides  of  Etna,  seemed  to  smile  in  the 
growing  light,  and  directly  above  the  cold,  hoary  summit  of 
the  volcano,  a  single  star  gleamed  forth  from  the  pale,  azure  sky. 

"  How  glorious  !"  exclaimed  Isabel ;  "  what  sacrifices  is 
not  a  scene  like  this  worth  !" 

"  It  reminds  me,"  said  the  count,  "  of  that  noble  produc- 
tion of  Coleridge — the  hymn  in  the  vale  of  Chamouni : — 

'Hast  thou  a  charm  to  stay  the  morning  star 
In  his  swift  course  '?  so  long  he  seems  to  pause 
On  thy  bald  awful  head,  0  sovran  Blanc !' 

And  then  the  invocation  which  the  view  inspires,  how  true 
and  expressive  ! — 

'  Awake,  my  soul !  not  only  passive  praise 
Thou  owest !  not  alone  these  swelling  tears, 
Mute  thanks,  and  secret  ecstasy  !  Awake, 
Voice  of  sweet  song !  awake,  my  heart,  awake  ! 
Green  vales  and  icy  cliffs — all  join  my  hymn.'  " 

Subdued,  and  at  the  same  time  exalted  by  the  presence 
of  Nature  in  a  new  form,  Isabel  yielded  her  spirit  to  the  in- 
fluences of  the  quiet  hour  and  impressive  scene,  and  wandered 
in  silent  delight,  till  her  uncle's  voice  calling  her  to  re-enter 
the  carriage,  awakened  her  from  her  day-dream. 

In  an  hour  they  drew  up  before  the  public  house  of 
Giarra.  As  they  entered  this  town,  the  first  of  its  rank 
which  Isabel  had  seen,  she  noted  the  objects  around  with 
curiosity.     Here  were  piles  of  cauliflowers  exposed  for  sale, 


JO  URNE  Y  TO  CA  TAN  I  A.  3 1 

there  long  strings  of  macearoni  suspended  upon  cane-poles  to 
dry  ;  here  were  a  group  of  villagers  from  the  mountain  feed- 
ing their  mules,  and  on  the  sunny  side  of  the  street  a  knot 
of  women  plying  the  distaff.  It  was  soon  determined  to  im- 
prove the  fine  weather,  and  make  an  excursion  upon  the  side 
of  Etna,  which  rose  so  invitingly  before  them.  Mules  were 
procured,  and  they  commenced  ascending  a  very  rugged  ra- 
vine, choked  up  with  black  lava-stones.  After  nearly  two 
hours  of  very  fatiguing  ascent,  they  stopped  at  a  cottage  to 
rest.  It  was  built  of  lava,  and  fronted  by  a  little  yard,  in 
which  its  mistress  was  sitting  in  the  sun,  spinning  flax.  She 
was  nearly  a  hundred  years  of  age.  Her  face  was  strongly 
marked,  and  brought  forcibly  to  Frazier's  mind  some  of  the 
Dutch  portraits  he  had  seen  in  the  collections  of  Italy,  where 
the  painter's  aim  seems  to  have  been  to  copy  nature  with  a 
fidelity  which  betrayed  all  the  painful  lineaments  of  age. 
Deep  furrows  indented  her  dark  visage,  and  a  tuft  of  white 
hair  protruded  from  beneath  the  hood  that  enveloped  her 
head.  A  large  black  pig,  and  several  fowls,  were  straying 
about  the  yard,  and  constituted  the  chief  of  the  old  woman's 
substance.  She  invited  them  to  enter  her  cottage.  One 
room  answered  all  the  purposes  of  the  family.  Here  were 
two  beds,  an  old  loom,  a  wax  figure  of  the  virgin  and  child, 
and,  in  one  corner,  a  huge  butt  of  sour  wine. 

"  You  see  how  these  people  live,"  said  the  count ;  '•'  this 
hut,  built  of  the  fatal  material  which  has  destroyed  so  many 
human  beings,  has  been  inhabited  for  more  than  fifty  years 
by  this  poor  creature.  To  visit  the  nearest  village,  and  bend 
at  the  altar  of  the  old  church,  to  bask  in  the  sun  in  winter, 
and  sit  in  the  shade  in  summer,  to  eat  her  small  allowance 
of  roasted  chestnuts,  and  drink  her  daily  pitcher  of  thin  wine 
— this  is  her  life  ;  she  knows  no  other,  and  perhaps  can  con- 
ceive of  no  better." 


32  SICILY. 

• 

The  old  woman's  daugliter  now  made  her  appearance, 
robed  in  black,  with  a  white  mantilla  thrown  over  her  head, 
and  a  crucifix  and  beads  suspended  from  her  neck.  She  was 
what  is  called  in  Sicily,  a  nun  of  the  house,  that  is,  a  woman 
who  has  taken  vows  of  celibacy,  and  to  perform  certain  acts 
of  ceremony  and  penance,  but  is  not  obliged  to  immure  her- 
self in  a  religious  asylum.  The  nun  busied  herself  in  pre- 
paring the  food  which  Vittorio  had  ordered  from  one  of  the 
little  villages  through  which  they  had  passed,  occasionally 
glancing,  with  deep  interest,  at  the  fair  stranger  and  her  com- 
panions. After  their  rej)ast,  the  son,  a  bright  and  active 
stripling,  guided  them  on  their  way.  They  soon  arrived  at 
a  clump  of  fine  old  chestnut  trees,  whose  gnarled  and  far- 
spreading  branches  betokened  sylvan  antiquities  of  no  ordi- 
nary worth.  Five  of  these  trees  surrounding  a  wide  space, 
according  to  tradition,  are  but  the  dissevered  trunk  of  one 
huge  tree,  and  therefore  called  the  tree  of  the  hundred  horses, 
because  it  is  said  that  that  number  of  steeds  could  make  the 
circuit  of  the  hollow  trunk.  Another  and  more  probable 
reason  for  the  appellation  is,  that  the  tree,  in  its  flourishing 
days,  could  shelter  a  hundred  mounted  horsemen.  Frazier 
was  a  connoisseur  in  forest  trees,  and,  while  he  did  not  im 
plicitly  credit  this  marvellous  tale,  yet  dwelt  with  strong  in 
terest  upon  the  rough  features  of  these  woodland  patriarchs. 
The  agile  peasant  ran  up  into  the  branches  of  the  old  chest 
nuts,  like  a  monkey,  ever  and  anon  thrusting  his  head  from 
some  hollow,  and  smiling  upon  the  travellers.  He  wore  a 
long  cap  of  white  cotton,  and  an  old  velvet  jerkin,  and  as  he 
thus  appeared,  peering  from  some  hole  in  the  massive 
branches,  Isabel  wished  there  had  been  time  to  sketch  the 
curious  picture  which  the  contrast  produced.  But  the  sun 
was  fast  descending,  and  they  turned  their  faces  towards  the 
town  below.     Then  burst  upon  their  sight  one  of  the  richest 


JOURNEY  TO   CATANIA.  33 

and  most  variegated  landscapes  it  had  ever  been  the  lot  of 
either  to  witness.  The  broad  plains  of  Mascali  were  spread 
out  like  a  map  beneath  them.  Fields  covered  with  dry  canes 
of  a  light  yellow  hue,  patches  of  green  grain  and  dark  masses 
— the  site  of  vineyards  or  arable  land — combined  to  form  a 
parterre,  which,  as  the  setting  sun  fell  richly  over  it,  had  all 
the  effect  of  an  extensive  garden.  Beyond  was  the  Mediter- 
ranean,  flecked  with  a  few  snow-white  sails  ;  far  away  to  the 
left,  Taormina,  hanging,  as  it  were,  on  a  bold  promontory,  on 
the  summit  of  which  are  the  remains  of  an  extensive  amphi- 
theatre, and  nearer  around  the  slopes  and  valleys,  the  lava- 
beds  and  trees  of  the  venerable  mountain.  If  the  morning's 
prospect  inspired  something  of  awe,  that  of  the  evening  only 
excited  gladsome  sensations.  It  spoke  of  plenty,  of  fertility, 
of  a  bounteous  and  beautiful  country. 

"  How  unutterably  sad,"  said  Vittorio,  as  they  were  slowly 
descending,  "  that  so  fair  a  heritage  should  be  so  unhappily 
peopled — that  superstition  and  ignorance  should  overshadow 
so  rich  a  domain,  and  that  where  we  rejoice  so  highly  in  the 
exuberance  and  fine  array  of  nature,  we  must  mourn  most 
deeply  for  the  poverty  and  wretched  condition  of  humanity." 

"  One  would  think,"  replied  Isabel,  "  that  to  live  amid 
such  influences  as  these — to  have  sweet  harmony  breathed 
upon  the  soul  from  such  aspects  of  creation,  day  by  day,  and 
year  by  year,  would  impart  a  blessedness  which  even  the  de- 
grading agencies  at  work  upon  these  poor  people  could  not 
supersede." 

'•  Government  is  more  of  a  reality  to  most  men  than  na- 
ture," drily  observed  her  uncle. 

"  Happily,  however,"  she  replied,  "  nature  operates  silently, 
and  may  produce  effects  upon  character  of  which  the  casual 
spectator  dreams  not." 

"  YeSj"  added  the  count,  "  and  it  is  a  happy  thought,  th^t 

2# 


34  SICILY. 

many  a  noble  aspiration  or  grateful  sentiment  may  liave  been 
aroused  in  the  breast  of  the  poor  villager,  as  he  descended 
this  path,  with  no  companion  but  his  mule,  and  looked  forth, 
as  we  now  do,  upon  the  luxuria^it  earth  and  the  glad  sea. 
There  is  a  lesson  for  the  wisest,  and  a  balm  for  the  most 
stricken,  in  this  landscape." 

For  some  moments  they  continued  the  descent  in  silence, 
till  an  exclamation  from  one  of  the  party  caused  them  to 
look  back.  From  the  white  and  lofty  cone  of  Etna,  a  dense 
column  of  smoke  was  rising  majestically.  To  the  height  of 
several  yards,  it  ascended  in  a  perpendicular  line,  and  then 
gracefully  turning,  floated  in  a  wide  and  saffron-colored  streak 
along  the  face  of  the  sky. 

"  This  is  all  you  wanted  to  complete  your  day's  good  for- 
tune," said  the  guide  ;  "  it  is  not  for  every  stranger  that  the 
mountain  will  smoke."  They  continued  to  watch  this  inter- 
esting phenomenon  long  after  their  return  to  Giarra ;  and 
when  night  had  overshadowed  the  scene,  a  few  flashes  of 
flame  from  the  awakened  crater,  and  an  almost  constant  effu- 
sion of  sparks,  amply  repaid  them  for  their  vigil. 

The  next  day  proved  as  fine  as  the  preceding,  and  to  ob- 
tain a  more  pleasing  succession  of  prospects,  it  was  deter- 
mined to  prosecute  the  remainder  of  their  journey  by  the 
mule-path.  As  the  distance  was  but  about  twenty-seven 
miles,  it  was  not  deemed  desirable  to  depart  before  early 
noon.  Isabel  devoted  the  intervening  time  to  repose  ;  Vit- 
torio  went  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  ]  and  Frazier 
repaired  to  the  adjoining  village  to  visit  a  wine-merchant, 
with  whom  he  had  been  acquainted  many  years  before  in 
England.  When  the  party  again  came  together  and  resumed 
their  journey,  they  found  themselves  for  some  time  upon  the 
carriage-road,  and  in  view  of  scenery  not  differing  essentially 
f^om  that  of  the  preceding  day.     Occasionally  they  passed 


JOURNEY  TO   CATANIA.  35 

large  flocks  of  goats,  driven  by  boys,  who  carried  the  young 
kids  slung  upon  their  shoulders,  or  a  company  of  peasants, 
each  with  his  donkey,  bearing,  in  long,  narrow  barrels,  hung 
like  panniers,  wine  from  the  hills  into  the  neighboring  town. 

"  My  friend  told  me,"  said  Frazier,  "  that  the  chief  em- 
ployment of  these  people  is  to  transport  the  wine  in  this 
manner.  It  is  taken  from  lar;]^e  butts,  such  as  we  saw  at  the 
sottage  yesterday.  Each  of  those  little  casks  contains  about 
eighteen  gallons  of  the  most  ordinary  wine  the  country  pro- 
duces. It  is  chiefly  used  for  distillation,  yielding  about  one 
part  in  seven  of  pure  spirit.  The  compensation  these  car- 
riers obtain  would  not  be  considered  in  America  as  equiva- 
lent for  an  hour's  work.  But  in  time  of  vintage  their  pay  is 
increased,  and  after  all,  in  this  country,  it  requires  little  to 
support  life." 

"  No,"  said  Vittorio  ;  '•  give  a  Sicilian  peasant  a  little 
fennel  or  roasted  pulse,  a  small  dish  of  maccaroni,  or  a  few 
pounds  of  bread  with  a  mug  of  common  wine,  and  he  fares 
like  a  lord." 

"  But  seldom  acquires  the  strength  of  a  man,"  replied 
Frazier  ;  '•  for  notwithstanding  their  broad  chests  and  muscu- 
lar limbs,  they  cannot  be  called  strong,  at  least  in  proportion 
to  appearances." 

"  You  have  told  us  nothing,  uncle,"  said  Isabel,  '•  of  your 
visit  to  Riposto.     How  did  }•  ou  find  your  old  friend  ?" 

"  I  found  him  sitting  on  an  old  sofa,  in  a  bare-looking 
room,  stirring  the  coals  in  a  brazier  with  the  key  of  his  maga- 
zine. I  rallied  him  upon  his  taste  in  preferring  so  dreary  a 
life  on  the  coast  of  Sicily  to  the  comforts  of  old  England. 
But  he  declared  himself  well  satisfied  with  his  lot.  There 
he  was,  surrounded  with  coopers,  stills,  freighting  boats,  jack- 
asses, a  few  chemical  books,  and  a  set  of  half-civilized  Sicil- 
ians— all  the  paraphernalia  of  a  wine-merchant  on  the  coast ; 


36  SICILY. 

as  busy  and  happy  in  his  exile  as  many  who  had  never  been 
away  from  the  light  of  their  own  firesides.  Such  is  the  force 
of  habit.  In  practical  application,  in  forwarding,  however 
humbly,  the  economy  of  life,  almost  any  man  may  enjoy  a 
contented  existence." 

"  A  contented,  granted,  uncle,"  said  Isabel,  "  but  not  ne- 
cessarily a  happy  or  an  improving  one." 

"  Riposto,"  continued  Frazier,  "  fifty  years  since,  was  a 
meagre  collsction  of  cane-huts.  Now  there  are  many  sub- 
stantial dwellings,  but  like  every  other  house  in  this  region, 
miserably  planned,  cold,  dark,  and  comfortless.  The  beach 
is  covered  with  barrels.  Coasting  vessels  are  continually 
launched,  loaded  with  wine,  and  the  little  town  looks  quite 
bustling.  Were  it  situated,  with  all  its  local  advantages,  in 
New  England,  they  would  connect  it  forthwith  with  the  capi- 
tal by  a  rail-road,  speculate  in  the  land  for  miles  around,  and 
prophesy  a  city  charter  for  it  in  less  than  a  twelvemonth." 

The  mule-path  into  which  they  now  entered  was  through  a 
lava  soil.  At  one  point  the  old  lava,  lying  in  masses  half 
covered  with  vegetation,  indicates  the  scene  of  that  eruption 
which  stayed  the  progress  of  the  Roman  army  on  its  way  to 
quell  an  insurrection  in  Syracuse,  and  obliged  them  to  turn 
and  make  the  circuit  of  the  island  in  another  direction.  Pass- 
ing through  the  broad  clear  street  of  Aci  Reale,  Isabel  looked 
up  to  the  decayed  palaces,  and  on  the  groups  of  well-cloaked 
loiterers  in  the  piazza,  and  forcibly  felt  the  impoverished  con- 
dition of  even  the  finest  localities.  Sometimes  she  amused 
herself  with  noting  the  defiiced  escutcheon  upon  an  ancient 
gateway,  sometimes  in  watching  the  thin,  white  line  of  smoke 
hanging  over  Etna,  and  at  others,  in  seeking,  amid  the  sur- 
rounding trees,  for  the  oak  and  the  fir,  the  pleasant  emblems 
of  her  native  land,  which,  at  intervals,  varied  the  scene.  The 
increase  of  the  lava-beds,  and  the  greater  prevalence  of  the 


JOURNEY  TO   CATANIA.  37 

olive-tree,  at  length  evidenced  that  they  were  near  their  des- 
tination. And  soon  after  they  paused  at  a  little  elevation, 
and,  with  new  delights,  Isabel  beheld  upon  a  verdant  plain 
near  the  sea,  the  Saracenic  domes  and  wide-spreading  dwel- 
lings of  Catania. 


I  have  learned 
To  look  on  Nature,  not  as  in  the  hour 
Of  thoughtless  youth,  but  hearing  oftentimes 
The  still  sad  music  of  humanity.  Wordsworth. 

rpHE  late  Prince  of  BIscari  was  the  Roscoe  of  Catania 
-*-  Affluent,  as  well  as  nobly  born,  instead  of  leading  the 
selfish  and  dissipated  life  too  common  among  the  Sicilian  no- 
bility, he  assiduously  devoted  his  wealth  and  influence  to  the 
cause  of  liberal  taste.  Many  works  of  public  utility,  entirely 
the  result  of  his  enterprise  and  philanthropy,  are  to  be  seen 
both  within  and  without  his  native  city.  His  house  was  the 
resort  of  strangers,  to  whom  he  extended  the  greatest  hospi- 
tality. The  beautiful  granite  columns  attached  to  the  cathe- 
dral of  St.  Agatha,  by  Roger,  the  traces  of  baths  in  the  vaults 
beneath,  a  few  arches  of  an  aqueduct  in  the  campagiia^  and 
the  subterranean  remains  of  an  amphitheatre  near  one  of  the 
gates,  would  be  the  chief  antiquities  of  which  the  Catanese 
could  boast  had  it  not  been  for  the  exertions  of  Biscari.  At 
his  expense  nearly  the  whole  of  a  Greek  theatre  has  been 
excavated,  and  many  valuable  relics  collected  and  arranged 
in  a  museum,  which  bears  his  name.  These  labors  would 
doubtless  have  proceeded  much  further,  and  been  productive 


B  ISC  ART.  39 

of  the  most  pleasing  fruits,  had  the  life  of  the  generous  no- 
bleman been  spared.  Enough,  however,  was  accomplished  to 
render  his  name  illustrious  as  a  public  benefactor,  and  to  ex- 
emplify how  widely  useful  wealth  may  become  in  the  hands 
of  one  with  liberality  freely  to  bestow  it,  and  judgment  wisely 
to  direct  its  disbursement. 

As  Isabel,  Yittorio,  and  Frazier,  were  on  their  way  to 
visit  these  vestiges  of  antiquity,  they  were  struck  with  the 
unusual  number  of  devotees  surrounding  a  shrine  under  a 
long  archway.  The  object  of  their  reverence  was  a  celebrated 
madonna,  exquisitely  painted  upon  a  slab  of  lava.  Though 
quite  ancient,  the  colors  wore  a  fresh  appearance,  and  the 
face  was  in  that  peculiar  style  of  meek  and  pensive  beauty 
which  distinguishes  these  products  of  the  pencil.  Around 
the  picture  were  hung  human  limbs  moulded  in  wax,  and  the 
figures  of  infants,  upon  which  were  colored  the  tokens  of  dis- 
ease. "  These,"  said  Vittorio,  '•  are  the  emblems  of  miracu- 
lous cures,  and  are  placed  there  as  grateful  ojBFerings  by  the 
sufferers,  whose  prayers  this  virgin  is  supposed  to  have  an- 
swered. This  is  a  common  method  of  acknowledging  the 
favors  of  saints  in  Sicily." 

Near  the  principal  ruin  stands  the  frame-work  of  a  lesser 
theatre,  wherein  the  musicians  rehearsed.  Beneath  the  dingy 
hues  of  time,  and  the  marks  of  violation,  it  is  still  possible  to 
descry  a  few  architectural  indications  of  what  the  edifice 
formly  was.  But  the  travellers  were  principally  struck  with 
the  contrast  between  the  original  purpose  and  present  appro- 
priation of  the  building.  It  is,  and  has  been  for  years,  the 
dwelling-place  of  a  score  of  poor  families,  whom  long  usage, 
more  than  right  of  property,  has  left  in  undisputed  possession. 

"  Here  is  a  change  indeed  !"  said  the  count — "  the  temple 
of  harmony  converted  into  a  poor-house ;  the  spot  consecrated  • 
to  the  study  of  an  elevating  science,  where  Grecian  professors 


40  SICILY. 

were  wont  to  vie  with  each  other  in  melodious  strains,  become 
the  last  refuge  of  the  sons  of  want !  Where  rich  cadences 
echoed,  half-starved  children  cry ;  where  the  dark,  clear  eye 
of  the  enthusiastic  musician  kindled,  are  the  haggard  faces  of 
beggars.  Sounds  of  complaint  and  emblems  of  squalid  misery 
fill  the  walls  where  a  luxurious  art  was  cultivated,  and  the 
victims  of  indigence  throng  the  once  gay  resort  of  the  vota- 
ries of  Euterpe !" 

They  passed  on  and  entered  the  area  of  the  theatre. 
Several  rows  of  stone  seats  are  here  discoverable,  overgrown 
with  weeds,  and  at  their  base  flows  a  limpid  spring.  To 
Isabel  the  scene  was  altogether  new.  She  traced  the  passages 
along  which  the  spectators  passed,  the  places  assigned  to  the 
distinguished  among  the  audience,  and  endeavored  to  picture 
the  whole  fabric,  of  which  the  portion  now  discernible  was 
evidently  but  a  small  part.  She  fancied  the  brilliancy  of  the 
scene,  when  the  cold  stones  around  her  were  hidden  by  the 
assembled  multitude  ]  when  ranges  of  human  faces  were 
turned  in  myriads  toward  the  scena ;  when  the  profound 
stillness  of  attention,  the  deep  murmur  of  approval,  and  the 
loud  acclamations  of  delight  alternately  stirred  the  now  still 
air.  She  thought  of  the  eyes  that  once  glistened  with  emo- 
tion in  that  place,  now  rayless — of  the  human  hearts  which 
responded,  in  tumultuous  beatings,  to  the  voice  of  song  or 
the  appeal  of  eloquence,  now  pulseless  forever.  She  thought 
of  the  efforts  of  thought,  the  thrills  of  feeling,  and  the  beam- 
ings of  inspiration,  which  this  deserted  scene  might  have 
witnessed ;  and  as  she  musingly  gazed  upon  the  marble,  half 
covered  with  lava,  corroded  by  time,  and  clad  in  the  rank 
herbage  which  shrouds  the  neglected  works  of  man,  a  new 
and  solemn  sense  of  the  revolutions  of  time  stole  over  her, 
like  the  slowly-gathering  shadows  of  an  autumn  evening, 
chastening  each  passion  for  earthly  meeds,  and  bringing  home 


BISCARI.  41 

to  the  heart  the  truth,  that  that  alone  in  man  is  eternal 
•which  allies  him  to  his  Maker.  With  torches  they  explored 
the  damp  and  lonely  corridors.  Vittorio  plucked  a  rose  from 
a  little  bush  which  had  taken  root  in  one  of  the  interstices 
of  the  seats,  and  gave  it  to  Isabel  as  a  memento  of  their  visit. 
"  Thus,"  said  he,  "  nature  flourishes  amid  the  decay  of  art,  as 
the  mind's  flowers  bloom  over  and  survive  the  destruction  of 
its  tenement.  It  has  been  asserted,  and  with  some  reason, 
that  Alcibiades  once  delivered  an  oration  in  this  theatre. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  has  beheld  some  master  efforts 
of  Grecian  genius.  And  what  though  solitude  and  ruin  mark 
the  spot  ?  What  though  the  voice  whose  accents  roused  every 
heart  is  hushed  ?  What  though  the  people  that  once  congre- 
gated here  are  extinct  ?  Their  essence  lives,  their  poetry  and 
philosophy — their  history  is  deathless.  What  was  false  in 
their  principles  has  been  superseded ;  what  is  true  has  been 
propelled  into  the  eternal  tide  of  humanity,  and  is  immortal." 
In  the  little  chamber  of  the  museum  devoted  to  bronzes, 
Isabel  noted  with  curiosity  the  implements  of  domestic  econo- 
my, and  the  symbols  of  a  period  and  a  people  long  since 
passed  away.  To  Yittorio,  who  was  familiar  with  the  Vatican 
and  the  Museo  Borbonico,  the  collection,  though  interesting, 
was  not  so  impressive  as  to  the  less  experienced  mind  of  his 
fair  companion.  She  handled  the  curiously-wrought  lamps 
which  once  illuminated  the  dwelling  of  a  Grecian  family,  and 
inspected  the  little  images  which  had  constituted  its  house- 
hold gods,  with  mingled  interest  and  incredulity.  It  had  not 
been  difl&cult  for  her  to  realize  the  ancient  origin  of  the  tem- 
ple whose  decayed  magnificence  speaks  eloquently  of  the  past, 
but  to  feel  that  she  was  surrounded  by  the  domestic  utensils, 
the  objects  anciently  familiar  to  that  people  whom  she  had 
been  wont  to  regard  with  such  reverence,  seemed  scarcely 
possible. 


42  SICILY. 

"  The  more  I  view  the  emblems  of  antiquity,"  she  re- 
marked, "the  more  vividly  I  feel  the  truth  of  that  trite 
saying — that  ours  is  a  common  nature ;  that  the  same  pas- 
sions have  swayed  and  the  same  general  constitution  charac- 
terized man  from  the  earliest  ages.  I  know  not  how  it  is,  but 
I  have  never  been  able  to  feel  till  now  that  the  ancients  were 
men,  such  men  as  now  people  the  earth,,  only  differing  in 
mode  of  life  and  method  of  development.  But  when  I  look 
upon  these  things,  I  feel  that  their  wants  were  like  ours — 
that  the  same  burden  of  necessity  was  laid  upon  them ;  but 
that,  in  the  earnest  culture  of  the  intellectual  and  ideal,  they 
beautified,  as  it  were,  the  rough  pathway  of  destiny,  and 
warmed  the  weary  atmosphere  of  being  with  the  heavenly 
glow  of  enthusiasm." 

"  What  more  striking  evidence  of  the  universal  love  of 
distinction  which  distinguishes  the  world  can  we  have  than 
this?"  inquired  Yittorio,  pointing  to  some  bronze  toys. 
"  These  were  the  playthings  of  the  patrician  children  :  oppo- 
site are  the  same  devices,  wrought  in  the  more  humble  ma- 
terial of  terra  cotta^  for  the  diversion  of  the  poorer  class. 
The  higher  ranks  then  had  penates  and  lamps  of  metal,  the 
lower  of  earth.  Now,  in  these  streets,  the  duke  wears  a  cloak 
of  fine  cloth,  the  laborer  a  garment  of  cotton.  Such  are  the 
poor  badges  of  earthly  distinction  !" 

They  turned  to  look  for  Frazier.  He  was  standing,  with 
folded  arms,  attentively  regarding  a  birchen  canoe — an 
American  trophy.  Isabel,  too,  paused  before  the  same  ob- 
ject, and  for  some  moments  her  mind  wandered  from  the 
Grecian  era  to  her  father-land.  Visions  of  blue  lakes  and 
green  forests  rose  to  view.  She  thought  of  her  pleasant  home, 
and  mused  upon  the  object  of  her  pilgrimage,  and  her  eye 
grew  dim  as  she  remembered  how  doubtful  it  still  was  whether 
she  should  ever  retrace  those  scenes  as  the  compA,nion  of  her 


BISCARI.  43 

father.  Vittorio  was  meanwhile  admiring  the  splendid  Torso 
which  adorns  the  collection,  and  is  a  masterpiece  of  Grecian 
sculpture. 

"  You  talk  of  the  Greeks,"  said  Frazier  to  his  niece ; 
"  but  who  shall  say  that  the  rude  people  whom  this  canoe 
represents  understood  not  as  much  of  the  philosophy  of  life  ? 
You  smile ;  but  remember,  Isabel,  that  the  ancients  were  a 
luxurious  race.  They  often  cultivated  the  ornamental  at  the 
expense  of  the  useful.  They  environed  themselves  with  ar- 
rangements expensive  and  enerviiting.  Their  baths  and  the- 
atres, their  statues  and  paintings,  were  agents  of  improve- 
ment, it  is  true,  but  how  often  did  they  become  the  means 
of  voluptuous  ease  and  selfish  indulgence  !  The  sons  of  the 
forest,  on  the  other  hand,  cherished  an  active,  free,  and  noble 
life.  Their  bodies  expanded  as  the  Creator  intended  they 
should ;  and  habits  of  graceful  activity  and  stern  endurance 
marked  them  for  men." 

"  Yes,"  said  Isabel,  smiling  at  his  warmth,  "  and  for  sym- 
bols of  the  beautiful  they  had  no  need.  Architecture  they 
beheld  in  the  vaulted  sky,  in  the  erect  shaft  of  the  forest  tree, 
in  the  green  and  gloomy  aisles  of  the  woodland.  Statuary 
was  finely  illustrated  in  their  own  persons,  and  for  the  most 
magnificent  landscapes,  they  had  but  to  gaze  upon  the  west- 
ern horizon,  or  into  the  clear  mirror  of  the  placid  lakes. 
Thus  furnished,  their  minds  were  nurtured,  perhaps,  but  un- 
fortunately for  your  theory,  never  progressed." 

"  I  pray  you,"  said  Vittorio,  "  mark  well  these  two  busts, 
for  they  represent  personages  who  are  intimately  associated 
with  Sicily.  That  large  head,  garlanded  with  ears  of  corn, 
is  Ceres.  Would  you  have  thought  the  goddess  of  so  mas- 
culine and  rustic  a  mien  ?  There  is  the  bust  of  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  generals  of  that  nation,  whose  incursions 
have  so  often  ravaged  the  fair  face  of  this  island.     Note  the 


44     -  SICILY 

stern  and  heavy  features,  the  bald  head,  and  that  deep  scar : 
they  proclaim  Scipio  Africanus." 

Polished  lava,  Sicilian  marbles,  and  a  few  little  cabinets 
in  the  several  departments  of  natural  history,  served  for  a 
while  longer  to  entertain  the  visitors.  The  figures  of  a  dead 
maiden  and  laughing  boy  illustrated  the  devotion  to  nature, 
which,  more  than  any  other  characteristic,  is  evinced  in  the 
specimens  of  Greek  sculpture.  A  few  pretty  examples  of 
the  chisel  of  Cali,  the  most  celebrated  modern  Catanese 
sculptor,  also  drew  their  attention.  After  viewing  the  Etrus- 
can vases,  one  or  two  of  which  are  of  a  rare  order,  and  lin- 
gering among  the  fine  old  columnar  fragments  in  the  court, 
they  left  the  quiet  precincts  of  the  museum. 


SinrBiijn  %t\\iul 


Point  not  these  mysteries  to  an  art, 

Lodged  above  the  starry  pole  ; 

Pure  modulations  flowing  from  the  heart 

Of  divine  Love,  where  wisdom,  beauty,  truth, 

With  order  dwell  in  endless  youth  ?  Wordsworth. 

IN  the  narrow  street  of  St.  Christofero,  in  Catania,  and  near 
the  little  church  of  the  same  order,  now  superseded  by  a 
larger  edifice,  was  born  the  most  beautiful  composer  of  our 
times.  To  the  imaginative  mind  of  Isabel  his  name  and 
memory  were  sacredly  endeared.  It  has  been  said,  that  no 
after  maturity  of  judgment  can  dissolve  the  spell  by  which 
the  first  poet  we  ever  understood  and  enjoyed  is  hallowed  in 
our  estimation.  On  the  same  principle,  the  composer  whose 
works  are  the  means  of  awakening  in  our  hearts  a  new  sense 
of  the  wonder  and  power  of  his  art,  whose  compositions  sway 
our  spirits  as  no  others  have  done,  and  address  our  associa- 
tions with  an  eloquence,  compared  with  which  all  similar  lan- 
guage is  unimpressive,  holds  a  place  in  our  estimation  and 
affections  second  to  that  of  no  intellectual  benefactor.  He 
has  opened  to  us  a  new  world.  He  has  brought  a  hitherto 
untried  influence  to  stir  the  ocean  of  feeling.  He  has  created 
yet  another  joy  in  the  dim  circle  of  our  experience,  and  woven 


46  SICILY. 

a  fresh  and  perennial  flower  into  the  withered  garland  of  life. 
With  the  thought  of  Bellini,  embalmed  in  such  a  sentiment 
of  gratitude,  Isabel,  accompanied  by  the  count,  who  had  ar- 
ranged the  visit  for  her  gratification,  went  forth  to  view  the 
memorials  of  the  departed  that  were  in  the  possession  of  his 
family. 

'•'  The  young  Yincenzo,"  said  Vittorio,  "  from  his  earliest 
infancy,  gave  evidence  of  the  genius  of  his  nature.  His  sus- 
ceptibility to  musical  sounds  was  remarkable.  He  could  be 
moved,  at  any  time,  to  tears  or  laughter,  to  sadness  or  ecs- 
tacy,  by  the  voice  of  harmony.  While  a  mere  child,  after 
hearing  on  public  occasions  a  new  air,  he  would,  on  returning 
home,  from  memory  transcribe  it.  At  eight  years  old  his 
little  hands  ran  over  the  keys  of  the  organ,  at  the  Benedic- 
tine convent,  with  surprising  facility.  His  first  compositions 
were  occasional  pieces  of  sacred  music.  It  was  early  discov- 
ered that  he  was  a  proper  object  of  patronage,  and,  soon  after 
arriving  at  manhood,  he  was  sent,  at  the  expense  of  govern- 
ment, to  study  at  Naples  and  Home.  The  result  of  an  ac- 
quaintance with  what  had  been  efiected  in  his  art  was  to 
make  more  clearly  perceptible  to  his  mind  the  necessity  of 
a  new  school.  The  history  of  genius  in  every  department  is 
almost  always  a  record  of  conflicts — of  struggles  against  what 
is  dominant.  Thus  the  early  efi'orts  of  Bellini  were  fre- 
quently unappreciated  and  misunderstood.  Still  he  perse- 
vered in  consulting  the  oracle  of  his  own  gifts,  and  in  devel- 
oping the  peculiar  and  now  universally  admired  style  which 
marks  his  compositions.  The  first  of  his  successful  operas 
was  the  Pirata,  then  the  Straniera,  then  the  Somnambula, 
and  then  Norma.*     In  each  successive  work  we  can  trace  a 

*  L'Adelson  e  Salvini,  represented  before  the  Institution  at  Naples, 
was  the  first  open  experiment  of  Bellini's  genius,  followed,  in  1826,  by 
Bianca  e  Fernando,  at  the  St.  Carlo  Theatre.    II  Pirata  and  La  Stra- 


VINCENZO  BELLIh  47 

decided  progression.  The  first  is  pretty,  often  beautiful ;  the 
last  is  throughout  beautiful,  and  frequently  sublime.  It  is  a 
delightful  thought,  that  in  a  country  where  literary  talent  is 
repelled  by  the  restrictions  on  the  press,  musical  genius  is 
untrammelled,  and  human  sentiment  may,  through  this  me- 
dium, find  free  and  glorious  development." 

"  I  have  always  regarded  music,"  said  Isabel,  "  as  the  per- 
fection of  language." 

"  Undoubtedly  it  should  be  so  considered,  and  although 
the  censors  jealously  guard  the  actual  verbal  expressions  at- 
tached to  operas,  to  a  true  imagination  and  just  sensibility, 
the  mere  notes  of  masterpieces  are  perfectly  distinguishable, 
as  expressive  of  the  thousand  sentiments  which  sway  the 
heart.  Bellini,  it  is  believed,  was  one  of  that  secret  society 
which  has  for  some  time  existed,  under  the  title  of  "  Young 
Italy,"  whose  aim  is  the  restoration  of  these  regions  to  inde- 
pendence ;  and  we  can  read,  or  rather  feel,  the  depth  and  fer- 
vor of  his  liberal  sentiments,  breathing  in  the  glowing  strains 
of  his  last  opera — the  Puritani." 

Thus  conversing,  they  arrived  at  the  residence  of  his  fam- 
ily, where,  with  emotions  of  melancholy  interest,  they  viewed 
the  tokens  of  his  brief  but  brilliant  career.  There  were  little 
remembrancers  whose  workmanship  testified  that  they  were 
wrought  by  fair  hands  ;  the  order  of  the  legion  of  honor  ;  a 
rich  carpet,  worked  by  the  ladies  of  Milan,  with  the  names 
of  his  operas  tastefully  interwoven,  and  many  fantasies  and 
fragments  written  by  his  own  hand.  There  was  something 
indescribably  touching  in  the  sight  of  these  trophies.  Isabel 
felt,  as  she  gazed  upon  them,  how  empty  and  unavailing  are 

niera,  successively  produced  at  the  Scala  in  Milan,  completely  estab- 
lished his  reputation.  The  Montecchi  e  Capuleti  was  brought  out 
soon  after  at  Venice.  The  Somnambula  and  Norma  at  Milan,  and  the 
Puritani  in  Paris. 


48  SICILY. 

the  tributes  men  pay  to  living  genius  compared  with  thai 
heritage  of  fame  which  is  its  after-recompense.  What  were 
these  glittering  orders  to  the  breast  they  once  adorned — now 
mouldering  in  the  grave  ?  And  these  indications  of  woman's 
regard,  which,  perhaps,  more  than  any  other,  pleased  the 
heart  of  the  young  Catanese  ?  How  like  the  deckings  of 
vanity  did  they  seem  now,  when  he  for  whom  they  were  play- 
fully wrought  was  enshrined  among  the  sons  of  fame  !  How 
sad,  too,  to  behold  the  slight  characters  and  unconnected 
notes — the  recorded  inspiration  of  him  who  alone  could 
rightly  combine  and  truly  set  forth  their  meaning  !  How 
affecting  to  look  upon  these  characters — the  pencillings  of 
genius,  and  remember  that  the  hand  which  inscribed  them 
was  cold  in  the  tomb  !  But  Isabel  dwelt  longest  and  most 
intently  upon  a  miniature  of  Bellini,  taken  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three,  after  the  representation  of  the  Pirata.  It  por- 
trayed the  youthful  composer  with  a  pale  intellectual  counte- 
nance, an  expansive  and  noble  brow,  and  hair  of  the  lightest 
auburn.  There  was  a  striking  union  of  gentleness  and  in- 
telligence, of  lofty  capacity  and  kindly  feeling,  in  the  por- 
trait, 

"  How  unlike  the  generality  of  his  countrymen  !"  ex- 
claimed Isabel,  who  had  looked  for  the  dark  eye  and  hair  of 
the  nation. 

"  Nature,  in  every  respect,"  replied  Vittorio,  "  marked 
him  for  a  peculiar  being.  Yet  the  softness  and  quiet  repose 
of  the  countenance  is  like  his  harmony.  The  mildness  of 
the  eye  and  the  delicacy  of  the  complexion  speak  of  refine- 
ment. The  whole  physiognomy  is  indicative  of  taste  and 
sentiment,  a  susceptibility  and  grace  almost  womanly,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  a  thoughtfulness  and  calm  beauty,  which 
speak  of  intellectual  labor  and  suffering.  The  face  of  Bel- 
lini here  depicted,  is  like  his  music,  moving,  expressive,  and 


VINCENZO  BELLINI.  49 

graceful.  I  have  seen  portraits  taken  at  a  later  age  witli 
less  of  youth,  and  perhaps,  for  that  reason,  less  of  interest  in 
their  expression.  During  his  lifetime  all  he  received  for  his 
works,  not  absolutely  requisite  for  his  support,  was  imme- 
diately sent  to  his  family.  And  now  his  aged  father  may  be 
said,  in  a  double  sense,  to  live  on  the  fame  of  his  son,  since, 
in  consideration  of  that  son's  arduous  labors  in  the  cause  of 
music,  which  in  southern  Europe  may  be  considered  perhaps 
the  only  truly  national  object  of  common  interest,  the  old 
man  receives  a  pension  from  government,  quite  adequate  to 
his  maintenance." 

"  I  think,"  said  Isabel,  as  the  party  were  seated  in  the 
opera-house  the  same  evening,  "  that  the  great  characteristic 
of  Bellini  is  what  may  be  called  his  metaphysical  accuracy. 
There  is  an  intimate  correspondence  between  the  idea  of  the 
drama  and  the  notes  of  the  music.  What  a  perfect  tone  of 
disappointed  aflfection  lurks  in  the  strain  '-  Ah  !  perche  non 
posso  odiarti  V — the  favorite  air  in  the  Somnambula  ;  and 
who  that  should  unpreparedly  hear  the  last  duet  of  the  Nor- 
ma, would  not  instantly  feel  that  it  is  the  mingled  expression 
of  despair  and  fondness  1  How  warlike  and  rousing  are  the 
Druidical  choruses,  and  what  peace  breathes  in  the  Hymn  to 
the  Moon  !  It  is  this  delicate  and  earnest  adaptation  of  the 
music  to  the  sentiment,  this  typifying  of  emotion  in  melody, 
that  seems  to  me  to  render  Bellini's  strains  so  heart-stirring." 

"  In  other  words,"  said  Vittorio,  "  he  affects  us  power- 
fully, for  the  same  reason  that  Shakspeare,  or  any  other  uni- 
versally acknowledged  genius,  excites  our  sympathy.  His 
music  is  t7-ue.  He  has  beeh  called  the  Petrarch  of  harmony, 
that  poet  being  deemed  by  the  Italians  the  most  perfect  por- 
tray er  of  love." 

"  And  would  that  his  fate  had  been  more  like  that  bard's  !" 
exclaimed  Isabel.     "  How  melancholy  that  he  should  have 

O 


r 


0  SICILY. 


died  so  young,  in  the  very  moment,  as  it  were,  of  success  and 
honor !  I  shall  never  forget  the  sorrow  I  felt  when  his  death 
was  announced  to  me.  I  was  in  a  ball-room.  The  scene  was 
gay  and  festive.  The  band  had  performed  in  succession  the 
most  admired  quadrilles  from  his  operas.  I  was  standing  in 
a  circle  which  surrounded  a  party  of  waltzers,  and  expressed 
the  delight  I  had  received  from  the  airs  we  had  just  heard. 
My  companion  responded,  and  sighing,  calmly  said,  '  What  a 
pity  he  will  compose  no  more  !'  When  I  thus  learned  the 
fact  of  his  death,  and  afterwards  the  particulars,  a  gloom 
came  over  my  spirits,  which,  during  the  evening,  had  been 
uncommonly  buoyant.  I  retired  to  the  most  solitary  part 
of  the  room,  and  indulged  the  reflections  thus  suddenly 
awakened.  '  How  few,'  thought  I, '  of  this  gay  throng,  as  they 
dance  to  the  enlivening  measures  of  Bellini,  will  breathe  a 
sigh  for  his  untimely  end,  or  give  a  grateful  thought  to  his 
memory.'  Some  of  the  company  passed  me  on  their  way  to 
the  music-room.  I  joined  them.  A  distinguished  amateur, 
with  a  fine  bass  voice,  had  taken  his  seat  at  the  instrument. 
For  a  moment  he  turned  over  the  book  listlessly,  and  then, 
as  if  inspired  by  a  pleasing  recollection,  burst  forth  in  that 
mournfully-beautiful  cavatina,  '  Vi  ravisso  hioghi  anmnV 
He  sang  it  with  much  feeling.  There  was  silent  and  pro- 
found attention.  The  tears  rose  to  my  eyes.  To  my  excited 
imagination  we  seemed  to  be  listening  to  the  dirge  of  Bellini; 
and,  as  the  last  lengthened  note  died  on  the  lips  of  the  vocal- 
ist— thus,  thought  I,  he  expired.  Little  did  I  then  think  I 
should  ever  see  the  native  city  of  the  compo^cr^  or  sit  in  the 
opera-house  which  he  doubtless  frequented." 

"  It  but  this  moment  occurred  to  me,"  replied  Vittorio,  - 
"  that,  perhaps,  in  this  very  place  Bellini  first  learned  to  ap- 
preciate the  science  he  afterwards  so  signally  advanced ;  to 
realize  the  expressiveness  of  the  agency  he  afterwards  so  ef 


VINCENZO  BELLINI.  51 

fcctually  wielded ;  to  feel  tbo  power  of  the  art  to  whose  ad- 
vancement he  afterwards  bo  nobly  contributed.  Perhaps 
here  first  dawned  on  his  young  ambition  the  thought  of  being 
a  composer.  Perhaps,  as  the  breathings  of  love,  grief,  fear, 
and  triumph  here  stirred  his  youthful  breast,  the  bright  hope 
of  embodying  them  in  thrilling  music,  and  thus  living  in  his 
'  land's  language,'  rose,  like  the  star  of  destiny,  before  his 
awakened  fancy." 

There  is  a  narrow  but  sequestered  road  leading  from  Ca- 
tania to  Cifali,  just  without  the  Porta  D'  Aci.  A  low  plaster 
wall  separates  it  on  both  sides  from  extensive  gardens,  the 
site  of  an  ancient  burial-place,  where  memorials  of  the  dead 
have  been  frequently  disinterred.  Over  the  top  of  these 
boundaries  the  orange  and  almond  trees,  in  the  season  of 
spring,  refresh  the  pedestrian  with  their  blossoms  and  per- 
fume. In  the  early  mornings  of  summer,  or  at  the  close  of 
the  day,  this  road  is  often  sought  by  the  meditative,  being 
less  frequented  than  most  of  the  other  highways  leading  from 
the  city.  There  one  can  stroll  along  and  interest  himself 
with  the  thought  of  the  now  extinct  people  near  whose  ruined 
sepulchres  he  is  treading,  or  gaze  upon  the  broad  face  and 
swellino;  cone  of  Etna  which  rises  before  him.  At  an  a2;reea- 
ble  distance  from  the  commencement  of  this  path  is  an  old 
monastery  of  Franciscans.  The  floor  of  the  venerable  church 
is  covered  with  the  deeply-carved  tablets,  beneath  which  are 
the  remains  of  the  Catanese  nobility,  their  arms  elaborately 
sculptured  upon  the  cold  slabs.  Strangers  sometimes  visit  a 
chapel  adjacent  to  see  a  well-executed  bust,  which  displays 
the  features  of  the  nobleman  who  lies  beneath,  and  is  thought 
to  be  the  co^jo  cVopei'a  of  a  Roman  sculptor.  The  adjoining 
chapel  is  assigned  as  the  last  resting-place  of  Vincenzo  Bel- 
lini, whose  monument  will  soon  exhibit  its  fresh-chiselled 
aspect  amid  the  time-worn  emblems  around.     Thither,  one 


62  SICILY. 

morning,  Isabel  and  the  count  wandered,  and,  after  leaving 
the  church,  sat  ujion  a  stone  bench  which  overlooked  the 
scene,  and  to  her  inquiries  as  to  the  funeral  honors  paid,  in 
his  native  island,  to  the  memory  of  the  composer,  he  replied — 

"  You  should  have  witnessed  in  order  to  realize  the  uni- 
versal grief  of  the  Catanese.  Business  was  suspended. 
Every  voice  faltered  as  it  repeated  the  tidings ;  every  eye 
was  moistened  as  it  marked  the  badges  of  mourning.  In  the 
capital  the  same  spirit  prevailed.  There,  but  a  few  months 
previous,  the  king  entered  the  city,  and  no  voice  hailed  him, 
because  the  professions  made  at  the  outset  of  his  reign  were 
unfulfilled.  The  gifted  composer  came,  and  acclamations 
welcomed  him.  Every  testimony  of  private  regard  and  pub- 
lic honor  was  displayed.  His  sojourn  was  a  festival — so  the 
news  of  his  death  created  universal  grief  Here,  in  the  spirit 
of  antiquity,  an  oration  was  pronounced  in  the  theatre,  his 
favorite  airs  performed,  and  actors,  in  the  old  Sicilian  cos- 
tume, represented  the  effect  of  his  death  by  an  appropriate 
piece,  with  mournful  music.  In  the  streets  were  processions, 
in  the  churches  masses,  and  in  the  heart  of  every  citizen  pro- 
found regret." 

"  And  this,"  said  Isabel,  glancing  over  the  scene,  "  is  a 
fit  place  for  his  repose.  He  will  sleep  at  the  foot  of  Etna, 
amid  the  nobles  of  his  native  city.  The  ladies  of  this  villa, 
as  they  wander  through  the  garden  in  the  still  summer  even- 
ings, will  sing  his  most  soothing  strains.  The  peasant,  as  he 
rides  by  on  his  mule,  at  the  cool  hour  of  dawn,  will  play  upon 
his  reeds  the  gladdest  notes,  the  choir  in  the  church  will 
chant  the  anthems,  and  the  blind  violinist,  as  he  rests  by  the 
road-side,  cheer  himself  with  the  pleasant  music  of  the  de- 
parted composer." 

They  rose  to  depart.  As  Isabel  looked  back,  and  began 
to  lose  sight  of  the  ancient  convent,  she  observed  a  lofty  ej- 


VINCENZO  BELLINI.  53 

press  at  the  corner  of  the  road.  As  its  dense  foliage  waved 
solemnly,  and  its  spire-like  cone  pointed  heavenward,  it  ap- 
peared to  her  saddened  fancy  like  a  mournful  sentinel,  stand- 
ing to  guard  from  sacrilege,  and  point  out  for  homage,  the 
last  resting-place  of  Bellini. 


SI  JBalk  ill  €whm. 

Gentle  or  rude, 
No  scene  of  life  but  has  contributed 
Rluch  to  remember.  Rogers. 

"  TirHAT  wise  book  so  engages  your  attention  ?"  asked 
' '     Isabel  of  lier  uncle,  who  had  been  for  some  time  in- 
tent upon  a  little  parchment-bound  volume. 

"  It  is  a  literary  curiosity,  given  me  by  our  host  to  amuse 
myself  with  till  we  go  out,  being  nothing  more  nor  less  than 
his  album,  wherein  his  merits  are  set  forth  in  all  languages, 
and  in  every  variety  of  terms.  One  praises  him  as  a  cicerone 
in  ascending  the  mountain,  one  as  a  caterer,  and  another  as  a 
nurse.  There  is  an  essay  on  the  instability  of  fame,  and  a 
warning  to  beware  of  the  moroseness  of  declining  years.  An 
Italian  merchant  reiterates  again  and  again,  that  what  he  says 
in  the  landlord's  praise  is  true,  as  if  he  realized  the  slight 
tenure  of  his  nation's  reputation  for  integrity ;  and  an  Eng- 
lishman begs  leave  to  recommend  the  inn  to  his  countrymen, 
as  if  no  other  individuals  in  the  wide  world  were  worthy  of 
the  honor.  There  are  sonnets  and  aphorisms,  quotations  and 
parodies,  and  I  cannot  tell  whether  the  volume  owes  it  variety 
to  the  quaint  mood  of  the  travellers  or  the  peculiar  quality 
of  our  host's  wine." 


A    WALK  IN  CATANIA.  55 

"  Not  less  than  half  the  inhabitants  of  this  town,"  said 
the  count,  as  they  went  forth  on  their  proposed  walk,  '•  de- 
rive their  subsistence  from  the  silk  manufacture.  Half  the 
houses  are  provided  with  looms ;  and  the  raw  material,  pur- 
chased at  fairs  of  the  country  people,  is  woven  by  the  poorer 
class  of  citizens,  and  sold  to  the  fabricant,  who,  in  his  turn, 

/  7  3  7 

executes  the  orders  of  the  merchant." 

"  Pride,  if  not  policy,"  said  Frazier,  as  they  passed  the  im- 
mense skeleton  of  a  palace,  '•  would  lead  an  American  or  an 
Englishman  to  finish  such  an  edifice  when  so  far  completed." 

"  Economy  is  a  more  powerful  motive  here,"  replied  Vit- 
torio ;  '•  the  noble  proprietor,  after  proceeding  to  this  extent 
in  erecting  his  dwelling,  found  that  the  opposite  wing  was 
sufficient  for  his  purposes,  and  therefore  took  possession  of  it, 
leaving,  without  a  particle  of  compunction,  this  unsightly  wall 
to  deform  the  street." 

A  number  of  young  men,  wearing  cocked  hats,  and  another 
group  in  flowing  gowns  of  red  bombazine,  passed  by  and  at- 
tracted the  notice  of  Isabel. 

"  Here  you  see,"  said  the  count,  "  a  good  illustration  of 
the  efibrts  constantly  made  in  this  part  of  the  world  to  divide 
the  ranks  of  society.  That  first  knot  of  youths  are  the  sons 
of  noblemen,  and  members  of  a  college  founded  by  a  princely 
family — the  other  charity  students.  The  cafe  at  that  corner 
is  frequented  only  by  the  nobility — the  one  at  this  by  the 
citizens." 

The  lofty  court-yard  of  the  college,  the  massive  front  or 
commanding  position  of  a  convent,  or  the  extensive  structures 
appropriated  as  hospitals,  by  turns  excited  the  inquiries  of 
the  strangers.  They  strolled  along  the  small  but  pleasant 
marina,  and  marked  the  mole,  formed  by  the  lava,  as  it  was 
arrested  after  invading  the  sea,  and  the  narrow  bed  of  the 
river  filled  with  women  busily  washing.     They  paused  in  the 


66        '  SICILY. 

principal  piazza  to  observe  tlie  old  statue  of  the  elepliant, 
bearing  a  small  Egyptian  obelisk,  and  stood  for  some  time  in 
the  sacristy  of  the  cathedral,  before  a  rough  fresco  painting, 
representing  the  eruption  of  1669.  As  they  were  walking  up 
the  Strada  Etnea,  and  admiring  the  fine  vista,  an  old  gateway 
at  one  end,  and  the  mountain  at  the  other,  they  perceived  a 
crowd  entering  a  church.  Joining  the  throng,  they  found 
themselves  suddenly  removed  from  the  noise  and  bustle  of  a 
public  street  into  the  solemn  precincts  of  a  religious  temple, 
and  in  view  of  an  affecting  ceremony.  It  was  the  funeral  of 
a  nun.  Behind  a  temporary  partition,  covered  with  black 
cloth,  and  marked  with  the  effigies  of  death,  a  band  of  mu- 
sicians were  performing.  At  several  of  the  altars  priests 
were  celebrating  mass.  Far  above,  through  gilt  gratings,  ap- 
peared the  sisterhood,  their  heads  concealed  in  white  folds, 
and  their  dark  eyes  bent  through  the  apertures  down  upon 
the  crowd.  The  marble  floor  was  quite  covered  with  kneel- 
ing figures,  some  in  dark  silk  hoods  and  mantles,  some  with 
light  shawls  thrown  slightly  over  their  shoulders,  and  others 
in  bonnets  and  cloaks.  Behind  the  railing,  near  one  of  the 
altars,  extended  upon  an  open  bier,  and  shrouded  in  black,  was 
seen  the  corpse.  A  bunch  of  artificial  flowers  nodded  over 
the  head,  a  crucifix  lay  upon  the  breast,  and  fresh  rose  leaves 
were  scattered  over  the  shroud.  Prayer  after  prayer  was 
said,  response  after  response  uttered,  and  strain  after  strain  of 
sacred  music  performed,  till  the  body  was  borne  away  for  in- 
terment, and  the  crowd  dispersed. 

When  Isabel  again  joined  the  passing  multitude  it  was 
with  a  mind  solemnized  by  this  unexpected  scene.  Yittorio 
had  met  an  acquaintance  in  the  church,  and  learned  some- 
thing of  the  nun's  history. 

"  The  poor  girl,"  said  he,  "  was  not  twenty  years  old  on 
the  day  of  her  death.     Her  father  was  a  wealthy  tradesman, 


A    WALK  TO   CATANIA.  57 

and  was  very  willing  his  daughter  should  take  the  vows,  as 
the  cost  of  an  entertainment  consequent  upon  her  profession 
would  not  by  any  means  equal  the  dowry  which  might  reasona- 
bly be  demanded  in  case  of  her  marriage.  The  one  cost  a 
few  hundreds :  the  other  would  have  required  thousands.  She 
was  therefore  unhesitatingly  consigned  to  the  convent ;  and 
every  one  praised  the  munificence  of  her  father  when  they 
beheld  the  fire-works  and  tasted  the  comfits  provided  at  his 
expense,  on  the  evening  of  her  initiation.  It  was  but  seven 
months  since,  and  now  she  is  in  her  grave.  To  such  intensity 
of  selfishness  will  avarice  and  superstition  sometimes  bring  a 
father ;  to  such  a  melancholy  end  will  mistaken  piety  lead  a 
woman." 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Isabel,  "  she  was  unhappy  in  her  home. 
Perhaps  she  pined  for  a  love  not  there  vouchsafed  her.  Per- 
haps her  young  heart  was  wasted  and  worn  with  unavailing 
yearning ;  her  best  feelings  checked  by  repeated  disappoint- 
ments ;  her  warm  afi"ections  chilled  and  blighted  by  neglect. 
Then  it  was  but  natural  that  she  should  turn  from  her  home 
and  seek  such  an  asylum  as  she  would  a  living  death.  I 
fancied  I  could  read  the  lines  of  care  as  well  as  the  ravages 
of  disease  upon  her  dead  face." 

"  At  all  events,"  said  Vittorio,  "  her  course  was  the  re- 
verse of  woman's  lot  as  Heaven  ordained  it.  No  more  certain 
is  it  that  the  flower  was  made  to  waft  perfume  than  that 
woman's  destiny  is  a  ministry  of  love,  a  life  of  the  aiFections. 
And  she  who  voluntarily  abandons  the  world,  resigns  the  part 
assigned  her  by  the  Creator  in  the  elevation  of  society,  in  re- 
fining, soothing,  and  making  happy  the  human  heart.  She 
abandons  the  sick  couch,  whose  weariness  none  else  can  as- 
suage ;  she  leaves  the  world's  denizen,  whose  worldliness  she 
could  best  have  tempered ;  she  quits  the  despondent,  whom 
she  might  have  cheered,  and  the  young  being  whose  delicate 

3* 


58  SICILY. 

impulses  slie  is  "host  fitted  to  guide  to  virtue.  Her  duty, 
toilsome  and  self-sacrificing  as  it  often  is,  is  yet  noble,  and 
may  be  made  angelic." 

"  Did  3^ou  remark,"  inquired  Isabel,  "  that  people  of  every 
description  were  continually  entering  the  church  during  the 
funeral?  Idle  young  men,  roughly-attired  country-people, 
servants  on  their  way  from  market,  and  children  returning 
from  school — all  went  in,  breathed  a  prayer  for  the  dead,  and 
then  hastened  away  on  their  several  errands.  I  could  not  but 
think,  with  all  my  protestant  prejudices,  how  salutary  might 
sometimes  be  the  effect  of  such  ceremonies,  encountered  as 
they  are  in  every  state  of  mind  and  without  warning." 

No  brighter  hour  had  smiled  upon  their  pilgrimage  than 
when  they  reached  the  beautiful  convent  of  the  Benedictines. 
Passing  through  the  magnificent  entrance,  and  up  the  lofty 
staircase,  they  threaded  the  spacious  corridors  lined  with  the 
chambers  of  the  fraternity,  over  the  doors  of  which  are  full- 
length  pictures  of  saints,  and  entered  the  superb  garden  of 
the  monastery.  Isabel  wandered  away  from  hor  companions, 
and  paced  the  neatly-paved  walks  in  silent  delight.  The  deep 
and  compact  verdure  of  the  cypress  and  myrtles,  trimmed  in 
the  English  style  into  fine  artificial  forms,  refreshed  the  eye 
on  every  side.  Roses  flaunted  their  rich  tints  in  the  morn- 
ing breeze  ;  geraniums  perfumed  the  air ;  and  the  yellow 
blossoms  of  the  cassia-tree  waved  in  rich  contrast  with  its 
soft  green  leaves.  Little  white  monuments,  planted  at  inter- 
vals among  the  shrubs,  basins  of  gold-fish,  and  neatly  deco- 
rated terraces,  combined  to  form  a  scene  more  like  the  sweet 
pictures  of  Eastern  climes  than  a  present  reality.  From  the 
extremities  of  the  walks,  far  round  the  massive  enclosure, 
was  visible,  in  crude  and  heavy  piles,  the  lava  of  1 669,  which 
stayed  its  fatal  course  only  at  the  walls  of  the  convent ;  its 
rough,  black  aspect  relieved  by  the  only  vegetation  which 


A    WALK  TO   CATANIA.  59 

seems  congenial  to  so  unkindly  a  soil — the  thick  and  heavy 
branches  of  the  prickly  pear.  Above  towered  Etna  ;  around 
spread  the  olive  hills.  Never  had  Isabel  beheld  so  delightful 
a  garden.  Seated  upon  one  of  the  stone  benches,  or  slowly 
walking  to  and  fro  in  the  cheerful  alleys,  she  long  lingered  in 
the  pleasant  domain,  while  her  uncle  sought,  in  the  museum 
of  the  monastery,  entertainment  more  accordant  with  his 
taste.  One  of  the  old  gardeners  gathered  her  a  bouquet,  and 
another  proffered  a  large  cluster  of  blood-oranges  plucked 
from  an  over-laden  tree. 

"And  this  is  winter  !"  she  exclaimed  to  the  count.  "  It 
is  surely  no  great  merit  to  prefer  so  lovely  a  retreat  to  the 
rude  highway  of  the  world.  In  reading  and  communing  with 
Nature,  methinks  life  might  pass  here  in  quiet  but  enviable 
enjoyment,  did  I  not  know  that  local  circumstances,  however 
auspicious,  could  not  satisfy  the  wants  of  the  soul :  that  the 
fairest  flowers  of  earth  could  not  atone  for  neglected  affec- 
tions, nor  the  most  delightful  scenery  brighten  into  beauty 
the  desert  of  inaction." 

"  You  speak  most  truly.  Yet  of  the  many  monastic  re- 
treats which  I  have  visited,  no  one  seems  half  so  invitinii'  as 
this.  There  is  a  peculiar  gloom  in  most  of  the  convents  on 
the  continent,  and  a  stern  look  about  the  fraternities.  Here, 
on  the  contrary,  you  perceive  a  light  and  elegant  air  pervad- 
ing the  wholfe  institution.  The  members  of  this  convent  are 
all  nobly  born  Sicilians ;  no  others  are  admitted  Their 
library  is  excellent,  and  the  situation  and  arrangement  of  their, 
abode,  as  you  see,  most  charming.  But  I  have  ever  thought 
that  solitary  and  barren  prospects  were  more  in  unison  with 
the  spirit  and  aim  of  monachism.  If  it  is  for  human  good  to 
be  altogether  absorbed  in  self-contemplation,  then  let  not  Na- 
ture and  Art  be  invoked  for  their  treasures.  Let  there  be  no 
symbol  of  beauty  to  call  off  the  spirit  from  meditation,  and 


60  SICILY. 

no  hue  of  freshness  to  divert  the  ever-present  thought  of 
death.  In  this  very  clinging  to  the  fair  emblems  of  nature 
and  humanity,  which  we  see  in  the  monks,  I  find  an  evidence 
of  the  fallacy  of  their  theory," 

"  What  an  irrational  investment  of  an  income  of  more 
than  twenty  thousand  dollars  !"  said  Frazier,  who  now  joined 
them,  "  to  feed  and  clothe  a  body  of  men,  who  have  ignobly 
turned  aside  from  the  warfiire  of  life.  Were  I  kins;,  or  rather 
president  of  Sicily,  I  would,  in  my  first  message  to  congress, 
recommend  that  these  sleek  gentlemen  should  be  punished  for 
such  a  selfish  appropriation  of  their  patrimonies,  by  being 
obliged  to  transfer  them  to  the  public  treasury  for  a  charity 
fund." 

"  This  picture,"  said  Vittorio,  as  they  entered  the  church, 
'•  represents  St.  Benedict  receiving  into  the  convent  two  prin- 
ces, presented  to  him  by  their  father.  What  a  benignant  ex- 
pression glows  in  the  old  man's  face  !  It  is  one  of  the  finest 
pictures  in  Catania.  Most  of  the  other  paintings  are  of  sec- 
ondary merit,  and  illustrate  talcs  of  the  greatest  superstition. 
Do  you  see  those  gaily-pictured  Turks,  and  that  flying  figure 
drawing  up  the  boy  through  the  ceiling?  That  child,  they 
say,  was  stolen  from  Catania  by  the  infidels,  and  employed  as 
a  house-servant.  One  day.  as  he  waited  on  them  at  dinner, 
he  was  observed  to  weep  :  '  Why  do  you  grieve  V  asked  his 
master.  '  Because,'  said  the  child,  '  to-day  is  a  great  festival 
in  my  country — the  feast  of  St.  Nicholas,  and  I  was  thinking 
of  my  father  and  mother,  my  brothers  and  sisters — how  hap- 
py they  are,  and  I  in  a  foreign  land  and  a  slave  !'  Upon  this 
the  Turks  abused  him,  and  ridiculed  his  faith  to  such  a  de- 
gree, that  St.  Nicholas,  feeling  his  dignity  insulted,  came 
through  the  wall  and  bore  the  child  away  by  the  hair  of  his 
head,  before  the  eyes  of  the  astonished  infidels,  as  you  see 
there  depicted." 


A    WALK  TO   CATANIA,  Q\ 

Before  his  auditors  could  comment  upon  this  character- 
istic miracle,  their  attention  was  more  pleasingly  arrested. 
The  thrilling  notes  of  the  splendid  organ,  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  in  Europe,  resounded  through  the  church.  Now 
hreathing  in  soft,  flute-like  cadences,  now  ringing  like  a  fine 
harp-string,  and  anon  pealing  forth  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  it 
vibrated  upon  the  ear,  and  entranced  the  heart  of  Isabel. 
The  spirit  of  devotion  awoke  as  she  listened.  She  silently 
commended  herself  to  heaven.  The  music  ceased,  as  they 
stood  within  the  richly-carved  choir,  and  directly  over  the 
tablet  behind  the  altar,  beneath  which  the  brotherhood  are 
Duried.  Impressed  with  the  morning's  experience,  they  turned 
to  leave  the  spacious  temple ;  Frazier  lamenting  its  inutility. 
Vittorio  regretting  the  distasteful  lightness  which  mars  its 
just  effect,  and  Isabel  rejoicing  in  its  holy  influences. 


)tjrartiBe. 


Where  the  gray  stones  and  unmolested  grass. 

Ages,  but  not  eblivion,  feebly  brave, 

While  strangers  ouiy  not  regardless  pass.  " 

CiiiLDE  Harold. 

TTPON  the  eastern  coast  of  Sicily,  at  the  distance  of  about 
^  twelve  leagues  from  Catania,  a  broad  neck  of  land 
stretches  into  the  Mediterranean,  which  divides  it  by  a  very 
narrow  channel  from  the  shore,  thus  justifying  its  claim  to 
the  appellation  of  an  island.  This  spot  is  covered  with  the 
compact  buildings  of  an  ancient  town,  and  being  surrounded 
by  a  double  wall,  and  several  lines  of  neat  though  low  ram- 
parts, presents  to  the  approaching  traveller,  a  secure  and  in- 
teresting appearance.  This  is  the  site  of  one  of  the  five 
cities,  which  together  constituted  the  greatest  metropolis  of 
the  island,  and  one  of  the  most  renowned  of  the  ancient  world. 
The  adjacent  plain  contains  numerous,  though  comparatively 
insignificant  remains  of  the  other  sections  of  that  illustrious 
region.  Above  and  around  them  the  tall  grain  and  scarlet 
poppy  wave  in  the  sea-breeze,  and  countless  fig-trees  and  low 
vines  spread  their  broad  leaves  to  the  sun,  through  the  whole 
extent  of  eighteen  miles,  once  covered  with  magnificent  dwel- 
lings, temples,  and  streets,  and  so  often  alive  with  the  tumult 


SYRACUSE.  63 

of  warfare.  A  long,  bright  day  had  passed  with  our  pilgrims 
as  they  traced  the  relics  and  revived  the  associations  of  Syra- 
cuse ;  and  at  its  close  they  sat  by  the  open  window  of  the 
hotel,  watching  the  sun's  last  glow  as  it  fell  over  the  tranquil 
waters  of  the  great  harbor — that  beautiful  and  capacious  bay 
upon  which  the  fleets  of  Athenians,  Carthaginians,  and  Ro- 
mans had  so  often  manoeuvred,  and  which  is  now  so  admira- 
bly adapted  to  secure  to  the  city  at  whose  base  it  rolls  the 
palm  of  commercial  prosperity,  yet  is  scarcely  stirred,  save 
by  the  oars  of  the  fisherman,  or  the  shallow  keel  of  a  Maltese 
speronarc.  The  same  stagnation  which  has  calmed  its  clear 
blue  surface,  broods  over  the  old  city,  and  as  the  strangers 
gazed  from  their  retired  position,  in  the  soothing  light  of 
eventide,  no  sound  of  human  enterprise  came  up  from  the 
narrow  streets,  and  they  dwelt  upon  the  past  without  being 
conscious  of  the  present.  It  is  one  of  the  true  delights  of 
travelling,  .that  when  the  day's  fatigues  are  over,  we  can  re- 
call its  experience,  denuded  of  the  weariness  and  untoward 
circumstances  which  may  have  marred  its  just  impressiveness. 
We  can  revoke  the  interesting,  and  forget  the  disagreeable. 
We  can  combine  into  pleasant  forms  the  light  and  shade,  the 
relievo  and  the  back-ground  of  the  actual  picture,  and  trans- 
form it  to  fairy-beauty  in  the  magic  glass  of  imagination.  It 
is  delightful  to  converse  and  reflect  upon  the  associations  of 
a  memorable  place  when  the  locality  is  fresh  in  the  memory — 
when  we  are  standing  on  the  hallowed  ground,  and  breathing 
the  inspiring  air  of  a  scene  whose  history  is  written  among 
Time's  earliest  chronicles.  AYithin  the  few  preceding  hours 
the  little  party  had  traced  the  boundaries  of  Acradina,  Tyche, 
Neapolis,  and  Epipola).  They  were  already  within  Ortygia. 
They  had  ascended  the  narrow  mouth  of  the  Anapus,  and 
seen  the  ancient  papyrus  growing  on  its  banks.  Frazier  had 
measured    the   two  remaining  columns  of  tlie    temples  of 


64  SICILY. 

Olympic  Jove ;  Isabel  had  gathered  from  the  walls  of  the 
celebrated  prison  of  the  Syracusan  tyrant,  a  bunch  of  that 
delicate  green  weed,  called  by  the  Italians  the  hair  of  Yenus, 
which  hangs  in  such  graceful  festoons  from  the  damp  stones 
of  ruins  ;  and  Vittorio  had  lifted  up  there  his  finely  modula- 
ted voice,  and  called  forth  that  marvellous  echo,  which  so 
often  carried  to  the  ears  of  the  listening  tyrant  the  secret 
converse  of  his  prisoners.  They  had  traced  the  wheel-marks 
in  the  ancient  streets,  and  stood  amid  broken  tombs,  whose 
very  ashes  the  breath  of  ages  has  long  since  scattered.  They 
had  seen  the  moss-grown  seats  of  the  amphitheatre,  and  the 
crumbling  arches  of  the  aqueducts.  They  had  leaned  over 
the  triangular  parapet,  and  gazed  down  upon  a  clear,  shallow 
stream,  gurgling  over  stones,  and  filled  with  sun-burnt  and 
bare-legged  washerwomen,  and  tried  to  realize  that  it  was  the 
fountain  of  Arethusa.  They  had  roamed  over  the  field  where 
the  Roman  army  were  so  long  encamped,  and  they  had  looked 
upon  Mount  Hybla.  However  disappointment  might  have 
cooled,  as  it  ever  will,  the  zeal  of  the  imaginative,  when  they 
compare  the  actual  with  the  ideal,  there  was  enough  in  the 
mere  outline  of  the  day's  observation  to  furnish  subjects  for 
musing  and  discussion. 

"  We  have  seen  to-day,"  said  Isabel,  "  the  miserable  relics 
of  a  once  splendid  G\tj.  Let  us  now  speak  of  those  whose 
names  are  identified  with  its  history,  and  the  remembrance 
of  whom  constitutes,  after  all,  the  true  romance  of  this  spot. 
Come,  count,  I  call  upon  j^ou  for  the  classical  retrospect. 
For  notwithstanding  my  limited  acquaintance  with  such  sub- 
jects, 

"  I  love  the  liigli  mysterious  dreams, 

Born  'mid  the  olive  woods  by  Grecian  streams.'  " 

< 

"  The  prettiest  fable,"  replied  he,  "  that  I  remember  con- 
nected with  Syracuse  is  that  of  Arethusa.     You  know  she 


SYRACUSE.  65 

was  one  of  Diana's  attendant  nymphs,  and  returning  from 
hunting,  sat  near  the  Alpheus,  and  bathed  in  its  waters.  The 
river-god  was  enamored  of  her,  and  pursued  her  till  ready  to 
sink  with  fatigue  ;  she  implored  the  aid  of  her  mistress,  who 
changed  her  into  a  fountain.  The  unfortunate  lover  imme- 
diately mingled  his  waters  with  hers.  Diana  opened  a  pas- 
sage for  her  under  the  sea,  and  she  rose  near  Syracuse.  The 
Alpheus  pursued,  and  appeared  near  Ortygia,  so  that  it  was 
said  that  whatever  is  thrown  into  the  Alpheus  at  Elis,  rises 
in  the  Arethusa  at  Syracuse.  There  are  facts  and  real  per- 
sonages enough,  however,  in  Syracusian  history,  to  obviate 
the  necessity  of  resorting  to  fable.  And  first,  this  place  is 
indissolubly  associated  with  the  memory  of  the  most  famous 
tyrant  of  antiquity.  It  may  be  that  his  early  banishment 
from  his  native  city  awakened  a  spirit  of  revenge  and  domi- 
nation which  was  the  germ  of  that  tyrannical  spirit  he  after- 
wards so  licentiously  indulged.  When  by  successful  policy 
he  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  command  in  the  war  then  waging 
against  the  Carthaginians,  his  first  step  was  to  intrigue 
against  his  colleagues,  and  flatter  those  below  him,  until,  step 
by  step,  he  succeeded  in  placing  himself  in  a  position  where 
he  could  establish  that  military  organization  which  is  the 
legitimate  enginery  of  despotism.  Once  having  assumed 
power,  and  triumphed  over  the  confidence  of  his  countrymen, 
he  established  the  quarries  and  prison,  the  remains  of  which 
we  have  visited,  and  confirmed  the  authority  he  had  gained 
by  policy  through  the  blighting  agency  of  fear.  His  fierce 
wars  with  the  Carthaginians  prove  his  courage  and  talent  as 
a  soldier.  Yet  we  know  that  he  feared  death,  and  was  the 
victim  of  suspicion  to  a  degree  the  most  weak  and  cowardly. 
He  would  allow  no  one  but  his  daughter  to  shave  him,  had 
his  bed  surrounded  by  a  trench  and  drawbridge,  and  did  not 
permit  even  his  son  or  brother  to  approach  him  unsearched. 


66  SICILY. 

Such  is  the  awful  penalty  which  men  pay  who  violate  the 
sacred  rights  of  humanity.  With  all  his  power  and  wealth, 
he  trembled  at  a  shadow.  He  felt  himself  cut  off  from  hu~ 
man  confidence.  Perhaps  he  feared  the  perpetuity  of  his 
title,  and  anticipated  that  future  ages  would  know  him  as  the 
tyrant  of  Syracuse.  It  may  have  been  this  feeling  which 
awoke  literary  ambition  in  his  breast,  and  led  him,  year  after 
year,  to  send  poems  to  the  Olj^mpic  games,  and  rejoice  so 
greatly  when  his  tragedj^  gained  the  prize.  Perhaps  he  hoped 
to  vindicate  his  right  to  a  better  fame,  and  obliterate  the 
memorv  of  his  thousand  acts  of  caDricious  and  cruel  domina- 
tion ;  or  when  he  had  tried  to  its  full  extent  the  value  of 
mere  physical  authority,  and  proved  its  worthlessness,  per- 
haps a  higher  ambition  inspired  him,  and  he  longed  to  obtain 
a  conquest  over  men's  minds,  and  establish  a  heritage  in  the 
immortal  kingdom  of  letters.  If  such  thoughts  sprang  up  in 
his  guilty  heart,  they  came  too  late,  or  were  too  feebly  cher- 
ished. His  ambition  was  a  gross  passion  for  dominion.  Had 
it  but  aimed  at  a  nobler  object,  how  different  would  be  his 
remembrance  !  Had  its  gratification  been  sought  in  the  em- 
pire of  the  heart,  and  its  end  been  human  good  instead  of 
destruction,  the  traveller,  instead  of  turning  with  pity  from 
these  sad  trophies  of  cruelty,  would  associate  the  name  of 
Dionysius  with  those  of  Gelon  and  Hiero — the  beneficent 
rulers  of  this  realm." 

"  There  are  brighter  pictures,"  said  Frazier,  "  in  the  an- 
nals of  Syracuse.  You  remember  the  ruins  of  a  tomb  by  the 
road-side,  Vv'hich  we  stopped  to  regard  just  before  entering 
the  town.  It  is  said  to  be  the  sepulchre  of  Archimedes,  who 
overcame  a  whole  Roman  army  with  his  machines,  and  was 
the  scientific  genius  of  his  age — the  Franklin  of  his  day. 
These  are  the  characters  I  like  to  contemplate — men  who 
have  given  a  mighty  impulse  to  science,  discovered  an  avail- 


SYRACUSE.  67 

able  truth,  promulgated  an  universal  law,  and  thus  practi- 
cally proved  themselves  benefactors,  compared  with  whom 
the  greatest  generals  are  not  worthy  of  a  thought,  unless,  in- 
deed, they  have  exhibited  the  noble  feeling  which  swelled  the 
heart  of  Marcollus,  when  he  wept  on  this  very  spot,  at  the 
thought  of  the  suffering  his  army  were  about  to  inflict  upon 
the  Syracusans.  In  that  age,  such  a  feeling  indicates  that 
he,  too,  with  the  opportunity,  might  have  been  a  philanthro- 
pist." 

"  And  do  you  not  remember,"  said  Isabel,  '•  that  this  is 
the  scene  of  that  beautiful  illustration  of  human  friendship 
which  has  been  reverently  handed  down  from  remote  an- 
tiquity 1  I  first  read  it  as  a  school-girl,  with  that  genuine 
glow  of  the  heart  which  the  story  of  true  magnanimity  awa- 
kens. And  shortly  after  the  impression  deepened,  by  seeing 
it  performed  on  the  stage,  in  what,  to  my  then  untutored 
judgment,  seemed  a  style  of  superlative  excellence.  I  can 
now  scarcely  believe  I  am  amid  the  scenes  of  that  noble 
story.  Yet  we  can  well  imagine,  that  on  the  site  of  one  of 
the  villas  we  passed  rose  the  mansion  of  Damon,  whence  he 
tore  himself  from  the  embraces  of  his  wife  to  meet  an  unde- 
served and  ignominious  fate,  and  that  in  one  of  the  dismal 
prisons — perhaps  in  the  renowned  Ear  of  Dionysius  itself — 
his  trusting  friend  confidently  awaited  the  return  of  him 
whose  hostage  he  had  voluntarily  become.  Over  yonder  hill, 
perhaps,  as  the  light  of  day  was  fading  from  the  horizon,  as 
at  this  hour,  furiou.sly  rushed  the  steed  which  bore  the  father 
and  the  patriot  to  destruction,  and  over  this  calm  bay,  it  may 
be,  echoed  the  shout  of  the  multitude,  when,  worn,  haggard, 
and  covered  with  dust,  the  noble  victim  of  tyranny  sprang 
from  his  horse  at  the  foot  of  the  scaffold,  prepared  to  redeem 
his  pledge.  How  anxiously  did  the  eyes  of  the  devoted 
friends  watch,  on  that  evening,  the  sun's  decline  !     How  did 


68  SICILY. 

their  very  breath  quiver  with  his  dying  rays  !  What  a  world 
of  emotions  must  have  lived  in  the  bosoms  of  both  during 
those  few  hours  of  separation  !  What  a  thrill  of  gladness 
must  each  have  known,  when  the  tyrant  himself,  overcome 
by  so  rare  an  example  of  generosity,  reprieved  his  victim  !" 

"  And,"  said  the  count,  "  how  little  did  he  think  that  this 
one  act  of  virtue  would  be  the  brightest  spot  in  his  heritage 
of  fame,  or  that  this  glorious  example  of  friendship  in  two 
citizens  would  outlive,  in  the  admiration  of  men,  the  renown 
of  all  his  military  achievements  and  deep-laid  policy  !  How 
little  did  he  think  that  the  future  explorer  of  the  ruins  of 
Syracuse  would  turn  with  contempt  from  the  thought  of  Dio- 
nysius,  at  the  pinnacle  of  his  power,  and  delightedly  conjure 
up  the  picture  of  Damon  upon  the  fatal  platform,  hearing  him 
in  fancy  exclaim — 

'  I  am  here  upon  the  scaffold ;  look  at  me : 
I  am  standing  on  my  throne,  as  proud  a  one 
As  yon  illumined  mountain,  where  the  sun 
Makes  his  last  stand.   Let  him  look  on  me  too  ; 
He  never  did  behold  a  spectacle 
More  full  of  natural  glory. 
All  Syracuse  starts  up  upon  her  hills, 
And  lifts  her  hundred  thousand  hands. 
She  shouts — hark  how  she  shouts  ! 
Shout  again  !  until  the  mountains  echo  you, 
And  the  great  sea  joins  in  that  mighty  voice. 
And  old  Enceladus,  the  son  of  earth, 
Stirs  in  his  mighty  caverns.'  "* 

When,  on  the  ensuing  morning,  they  came  upon  the  car- 
riage-road, which  extends  only  to  the  distance  of  a  few  miles 
from  the  walls,  the  quiet  and  solitude  which  prevailed  so  near 
a  well-peopled  city  excited  their  observation.  Reining  their 
horseSj  they  paused  upon  a  little  eminence,  and  gave  a  fare- 

*  Shiel's  Damon  and  Pythias. 


SYRACUSE.  69 

well  gaze  to  Syracuse.  Its  capacious  and  finely  protected 
bay,  its  thick  gray  bastions,  and  the  trees  which  covered  the 
surrounding  country,  were  all  defined  in  the  morning  light, 
with  that  relievo  and  vividness  which  every  object  in  the 
landscape  assumes  in  the  peculiarly  clear  atmosphere  of  these 
regions. 

"  Few  cities  of  antiquity,"  observed  Frazier,  "  were  more 
visited  by  illustrious  men  than  this  in  the  day  of  its  glory. 
Cicero  was  long  pro-consul  here,  and  often  alludes  in  his 
writings,  with  no  ordinary  interest,  to  his  residence." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  count,  "  and  a  still  more  illustrious  per- 
sonage no  less  than  thrice  dwelt  here.  He,  about  whose 
infant  mouth  the  bees  of  Hymettus  clustered,  and  of  whom 
Socrates  dreamed  that  a  cyguet,  rising  from  an  altar  dedi- 
cated to  Cupid,  took  refuge  in  his  bosom,  and  then  soared 
towards  heaven,  singing  richly  as  he  rose — presages  of  gifts 
and  graces  which  after  age  amply  falfilled  ;  he  who  taught 
that  our  highest  emotions  are  but  the  beamings  which  mem- 
ory imparts  of  an  existence  antecedent  to  our  birth  ;  he  who 
had  faith  in  the  beautiful  idea  of  an  original,  native  affinity 
between  souls  in  which  consisted  love ;  he  who  bade  all  men 
who  would  be  true  to  themselves  reverence  the  dreams  of 
their  youth  ;  who  unenlightened  by  revelation,  felt  that  the 
soul  was  immortal,  and  with  a  capacity  of  thought  beyond  his 
age,  and  a  love  of  the  spiritual  which  the  mass  of  beings 
around  him  could  not  appreciate,  combined  with  a  spirit  of 
divine  philosophy,  the  truthful  feeling  and  winning  simplicity 
of  childhood.  Yes,  the  favorite  pupil  of  Plato  was  Dion — a 
SjTacusan." 

"  There  was  too,"  said  Isabel,  "  in  a  later  age,  another  noble 
being,  who,  for  three  days,  we  are  told,  abode  in  Syracuse. 
One  who  cast  aside  the  allurements  which  superior  education 
and  social  advantages  offered,  and  became  the  advocate  of  a 


70  SICILY. 

despised  religion ;  one  whose  strength  of  mind  and  natural 
gifts  of  intellect  were  only  equalled  by  the  fervor  of  his  feel- 
ings and  the  decision  and  dignity  of  his  character ;  one  who 
was  enthusiastic  without  extravagance  and  zealous  without 
passion  ;  whose  tones  were  so  deep,  calm,  and  earnest,  that 
the  potentate  before  whom  he  was  arraigned  exclaimed  that 
he  too  was  'almost  persuaded  to  be  a  Christian;'  and  then 
Paul,  in  what  always  seemed  to  me  the  most  thrilling  pas- 
sage of  his  history,  standing  in  the  midst  of  an  inimical  as- 
sembly, and  in  the  presence  of  regal  authority,  surrounded 
by  guards,  and  on  trial  for  his  life,  raised  his  calm-  counte- 
nance to  the  enthroned  judge,  and  lifting  those  arms  which 
had  so  often  moved  in  the  graceful  gestures  of  scholastic  elo- 
quence, but  on  which  fetters  now  rankled,  in  firm,  impas- 
sioned, and  clear  accents,  replied — '  I  would  to  God  that  not 
only  thou,  but  also  all  that  hear  me  this  day,  were  both  al- 
most and  altogether  such  as  I  am,  except  these  bo?ids.^  He 
walked  where  Plato  had  before  trod,  and  taught  to  the  Syra- 
cusans  that  new  religion  which  is  now  the  faith  of  Christen- 
dom." 

"  It  is  not  a  little  curious,"  observed  Frazier,  "  to  note 
the  results  of  that  ceaseless  spirit  of  change,  which,  in  this 
age,  if  never  before,  is  so  wizard-like,  that  wonder  itself  is 
well  nigh  exhausted.  As  an  instance,  consider  the  fact,  that 
the  only  event  which  for  many  years  has  given  a  temporary 
activity  to  the  aspect  and  energies  of  Syracuse,  was  the  win- 
tering of  the  American  fleet  there  a  few  years  since.  It  is 
thought  of  and  reverted  to  with  a  frequency  and  emphasis 
which  indicates  how  much  it  was  considered." 

"  Thus,"  said  the  count,  "  a  few  of  the  ships,  of  a  people 
unknown  to  the  ancient  world,  lying  in  that  fine  harbor,  was 
a  memorable  circumstance  in  the  annals  of  a  city  once  con- 
taining twelve  hundred  thousand  inhabitants — the  object  of 


SYRACUSE.  71 

innumerable  wars,  the  seat  of  arts,  and  the  mart  of  wealth  ; 
now  reduced  to  an  inconsiderable  and  impoverished  town, 
sought  rather  by  the  curious  traveller  than  the  votary  of 
commerce,  and  its  pavements  more  familiar  with  the  slow 
tread  of  the  mendicant  than  the  rapid  roll  of  luxurious  e(jui- 
pages  ;  and  beneath  this  sky,  where  once  rose  the  hum  of 
martial  preparation,  the  shout  of  triumph,  the  breath  of  song, 
the  music  of  eloquence,  and  the  joyous  laugh  of  prosperity, 
may  be  heard  the  rustling  of  the  bearded  grain  in  its  summer 
fulness,  or  the  wild  moan  of  the  ocean  wind,  like  the  requiem 
breathed  by  Nature  over  the  desolate  remains  of  human 
grandeur." 


SBurnrtj  In  ^5alcrni0, 


He  was  fresh  and  vigorous  with  rest ;  he  was  animated  with  hope  ;  he  was  in- 
cited by  desire ;  he  walked  swiftly  forward  over  the  valleys,  and  saw  the  hilla 
gradually  rising  before  him.  Rasselas. 


THROUGH  fields  of  lava,  in  which  the  broad,  dense  leaves 
of  the  Indian  fig  flourished  in  rank  luxuriance,  the  trav- 
ellers, having  once  more  left  Catania,  proceeded  on  their 
way,  and  were  soon  on  the  mountain-road.  Nothing  could 
exceed  the  abject  wretchedness  of  the  towns  through  which 
they  passed,  choked  up  with  filth,  and  seemingly  populated 
by  beggars  ;  and  the  heart  of  Isabel  was  alternately  sickened 
by  the  insignia  of  misery,  or  chilled  by  the  scenes  of  discom- 
fort which  met  her  view.  To  an  American,  who  has  been 
almost  wholly  unused  to  the  palpable  evidences  of  poverty,  it 
is  inconceivably  trying  to  be  forced  to  witness  the  haggard 
visage,  the  impotent  liinb,  or  the  miserable  covering  of  the 
beggar  ;  to  hear  his  supplicating  tones  ever  sounding  in  the 
ear,  to  see  his  eager  and  woe-begone  eye  regarding  him  envi- 
ously through  the  window  of  the  cafe^  and  his  attenuated 
form  following  him  like  a  shadow  at  every  turn.  How  de- 
pressing, then,  were  such  objects  to  the  mind  of  Isabel,  throng- 
ing as  they  did  every  village  in  the  route.     Aged  men  with 


JOURNEY  TO  PALERMO.  73 

white  beards  and  hollow  temples,  women  prematurely  palsied, 
children  half  naked,  and  already  taught  to  attune  their  half- 
articulating  voices  to  the  language  of  importunity ;  and 
these  beings  not  scattered  here  and  there  among  the  multi- 
tude, but  crowding  every  square  and  murmuring  beneath 
every  hill-side  ;  creatures  whom  civilization,  if  not  humanity, 
has  elsewhere  consigned  to  hospitals  ;  victims  of  disease,  for 
whom,  in  almost  every  land,  asylums  are  provided  ;  the 
maimed,  the  blind,  the  paralyzed,  the  bowed  down  with  age, 
and  the  stricken  with  famine,  all  urging  every  feeble  nerve, 
and  straining  every  lingering  art,  to  prolong  a  wretched  ex- 
istence. Let  no  one  fancy  he  has  witnessed  the  lowest  de- 
gree of  human  destiny  until  he  has  seen  the  mendicants  of 
Sicily. 

"  What  a  relief,"  said  Isabel,  after  leaving  behind  them 
one  of  these  villages,  "  to  be  again  in  the  open  country. 
What  though  the  mountains  are  wild  and  dreary  ?  The 
sheep  on  yonder  slope  browse  contentedly,  and  the  sparrows 
chirp  as  they  pick  the  scattered  berries.  There  is  nothing 
that  speaks  of  human  suffering,  nothing  to  remind  us  of  wants 
we  can  alleviate,  and  degradation  apparently  irretrievable." 

"  There,"  observed  Frazier,  pointing  to  a  finely  situated 
convent,  "  behold  the  cause  of  what  you  lament.  It  is  a  vio- 
lation of  the  law  of  the  social  universe  that  any  part  of  the 
human  family  should  withdraw  themselves  from  their  allotted 
share  in  the  toil  and  responsibility  of  life.  The  very  money 
that  supports  the  priests  of  Sicily  in  idleness  would  more 
than  maintain  her  paupers  ;  the  hands  of  the  idle  priesthood, 
if  judiciously  employed,  would  double,  in  a  short  time,  the 
productiveness  of  the  island,  and  the  day  that  witnessed  the 
annihilation  of  priestcraft,  would  give  the  death-blow  to  beg- 
gary." 

During  their  day's  ride  the  most  interesting  objects  pre- 

4 


74  SICILY. 

sented  were  three  old  castles,  built  at  the  period  of  the  Nor- 
man conquest,  and  affording  very  good  specimens  of  the 
gloomy  architecture  of  the  middle  ages.  At  one  of  their 
evening  stopping-places,  after  they  had  finished  the  meal, 
composed  chiefly  of  the  viands  with  which  their  Catania 
friends  had  loaded  the  carriage,  Frazier,  whose  principle  it 
was  to  improve  every  oiDportunity,  however  unpromising,  to 
acquire  information,  began,  by  the  help  of  Vittorio,  to  enter 
into  conversation  with  the  women  of  the  locanda.  These 
two  crones  were  old  and  remarkably  ugly.  As  Isabel  looked 
upon  their  distorted  features  and  rude  attire,  she  could  recall 
no  figures  resembling  them  except  one  or  two  she  had  seen 
in  America  personate  the  witches  in  Macbeth.  Her  uncle's 
attempt  to  extract  a  grain  or  two  of  knowledge  about  the 
crops  proved  vain,  as  there  was  but  one  topic  upon  which 
they  seemed  inclined  to  enlarge,  and  this  was  the  miracles  of 
the  patron  saint  of  their  village.  Frazier  had  not  the  pa- 
tience to  listen  to  their  stories;  but  Isabel,  to  whom  every 
chapter  in  the  volume  of  human  experience  was  interesting, 
was  pleased  to  avail  herself  of  their  kind  interpreter,  and 
hear  the  hostess's  account  of  St.  Vito. 

''  His  father  was  a  Turk,  excellenza^  and,  angry  at  his 
conversation,  threatened  to  boil  him  in  oil  if  he  did  not  re- 
tract. Though  only  thirteen  years  old,  the  boy  maintained 
his  faith,  and  when  put  into  the  cauldron  received  not  the 
least  injury.  He  became  a  saint  at  once,  and  is  ever  work- 
ing miracles.  A  neighbor  of  mine  had  a  sick  mule.  He 
carried  him  into  the  church ;  he  knelt  before  St.  Vito,  and 
was  immediately  cured.  A  woman  of  the  next  village  was 
bitten  by  a  mad  dog,  and  came  to  pray  to  the  saint ;  but  the 
people  would  not  admit  her,  for  fear  of  being  infected  by  the 
madness :  they,  however,  brought  a  piece  of  holy  wafer  from 
the  saint's  shrine  to  the  gate,  and  gave  it  to  her.     No  sooner 


JOURNEY  TO  PALERMO.  75 

had  she  eaten  it,  than  five  very  small  dogs  jumped  from  her 
mouth  and  fell  dead  m  the  street.  0,  signora,  he  is  a  beau- 
tiful saint ;  and  if  you  will  go  to  the  church  to-morrow,  and 
make  the  sign  of  the  cross  before  him,  you  will  go  to  our 
country,  our  most  happy  country — paradise." 

"  But,"  said  Isabel,  amused  with  the  old  woman's  ardor, 
"  I  think  I  have  some  guardian  angel,  for  I  came  over  the 
wide  sea  in  safety." 

"  That,"  replied  the  crone,  '•  was  only  the  grace  of  God,  for 
in  your  country  you  have  no  saint." 

"  Yes,  we  have." 

"What  do  you  call  him?" 

"  It  is  a  woman  of  noble  countenance  and  majestic  mien, 
called  Santa  Liberta." 

"  Ah  !"  exclaimed  both  the  old  women  in  rapture,  grin- 
ning horribly  and  dancing  with  delight ;  "  then  you  are  a 
Christian." 

"  I  hope  so,"  quietly  replied  Isabel,  smiling  at  their  joy. 

"  Then  we'll  bring  you  a  Saint  Yito  to  kiss,  and  you  can 
have  a  crucifix  and  some  holy  water  in  your  room." 

"  There's  time  enough  to-morrow,"  replied  she,  beginning 
to  be  alarmed  at  the  penances  they  might  inflict.  '•  It  is  time 
to  retire." 

"  Good  night,"  said  the  count ;  "  I  commend  you  to  the 
care  of  your  true  patron,  St.  Isabel." 

And  in  thus  canonizing  her  name,  he  had  a  deeper  mean- 
ing than  is  often  contained  in  the  language  of  compliment. 
He  referred  to  that  self-dependence,  that  trust  in  individual 
mind  and  energy,  that  confidence  in  the  native  and  personal 
power  of  the  soul,  characteristic  of  northern  nations,  and  than 
which  there  is  no  greater  mystery  of  character  to  a  southern 
European. 

When  the  traveller's  route  lies  through  a  region  of  no 


76  SICILY. 

peculiar  interest  or  beauty,  the  prevalence  of  mountains, 
while  it  augments  the  toil,  greatly  lessens  the  en7iui  of  his 
journey.  The  wild,  sweeping  curves  of  the  hills  bring  him 
continually  in  view  of  new  prospects.  Now  he  ascends  a 
steep  elevation,  and  thence  beholds,  far  and  wide,  others  of 
various  forms  and  altitude  rising  above  him ;  now  an  abrupt 
and  curiously-shaped  cliff  meets  his  eye,  and,  anon,  a  fine 
green  valley  suddenly  breaks  upon  his  sight.  Here  is  a  nat- 
ural amphitheatre,  there  a  rocky  precipice ;  and  this  chang- 
ing scenery  is  ever  arrayed  in  the  light  and  shade,  the  mists 
and  clearness,  which  vary  the  aspect  of  the  mountains.  Our 
little  party  realized  this,  perhaps  unconsciously,  as  they  ad- 
vanced on  their  course.  The  motion  of  a  carriage  amid  the 
hills  induces  a  meditative  mood  which  is  unfavorable  to  con- 
versation ;  and  as  the  coach  wound  up  and  down  the  dreary 
ranges,  beneath  a  gloomy  sky,  they  yielded  to  this  influence, 
and  were  quite  lost  in  their  individual  reflections.  Some- 
times for  miles  the  solitude  was  uninterrupted  save  by  the 
little  carts  of  the  country  passing  with  blocks  of  sulphur  from 
the  mines,  or  the  picturesque  appearance  of  a  shepherd  lying 
on  some  broad  hill-side,  with  his  flock  scattered  before  and 
his  dog  crouched  beside  him. 

"  May  I  know  your  thoughts,  Isabel  ?"  said  Frazier,  after 
one  of  their  reveries  had  continued  for  an  unwonted  space. 

"  I  was  thinking,"  she  replied,  "  how  melancholy  must  be 
companionless  travel  here,  at  such  a  season,  for  one  inclined 
to  sad  fancies.  Where  nature  looks  so  lonely  and  man  so 
cheerless,  the  solitary  traveller  must  have  a  gay  spirit  to  go 
singing  on  his  way." 

"  And  I  was  thinking,"  said  her  uncle,  "  of  the  scene  at 
the  little  church  at  the  last  village  where  we  stopped.  I 
strolled  in  there  while  the  horses  were  feeding.  The  damp 
floor  was  covered  with  a  wretched-looking  set  of  kneeling 


JOURNEY  TO  PALERMO.  77 

women,  and  behind  the  altar  three  or  four  fat  and  well- 
clad  priests  were  carelessly  chanting.  I  was  thinking  how 
powerful  is  superstition,  since  a  carved  railing  and  a  few 
words  of  Latin  can  thus  cheat  human  beings  into  the  surren- 
der of  their  highest  rights." 

'•  And  I  was  thinking,"  said  Vittorio,  pointing  to  several 
large  crows  that  were  cleaving  the  air  above  them,  "how 
times  change,  but  principles  live.  Centuries  ago,  perhaps  on 
this  very  spot,  the  flight  of  these  birds  was  watched  as  the 
intimation  of  destiny.  Now  they  soar  unregarded,  save  by 
the  jealous  husbandman,  while  the  same  feeling  of  our  nature 
which  then  caused  them  to  be  regarded  as  ominous,  is  still 
abused  by  the  professors  of  a  purer  faith  for  like  purposes  of 
selfish  aggrandizement." 

Nearly  all  the  towns  on  the  way  appeared  crowning  some 
lofty  height,  and  presenting  very  interesting  objects  viewed 
from  a  distance.  One  of  the  best  of  these  the  count  pointed 
out  to  Isabel,  at  an  early  stage  of  their  journey,  as  the  birth- 
place of  Diodorus  Siculus,  the  historian  ;  and  on  a  mild  after- 
noon he  called  her  attention  to  the  fields  they  were  crossing. 

"  These  plains,"  said  he,  "  constitute  the  country,  which, 
according  to  the  ancient  writers,  was  under  the  peculiar  care 
of  Ceres.  Here  Agriculture  was  born ;  and  even  now  you 
Bee  these  fields  are  covered  with  newly-sprouted  grain.  You 
remember  the  classic  legend.  Proserpine,  it  seems,  like  many 
maidens,  had  a  strange  fancy  for  solitary  rambling,  and  while 
culling  a  nosegay  here  was  surprised  by  Pluto,  who  came  up 
through  a  lake,  and  carried  off  to  the  infernal  dominions  the 
lovely  daughter  of  Ceres.  Her  poor  mother  found  her  girdle 
on  a  fountain,  and,  disconsolate,  sought  her  everywhere. 
Arethusa  at  length  informed  her  of  the  abiding  place  of  Pros- 
erpine. She  appealed  to  Jupiter  for  her  release,  and  the 
father  of  the  gods  promised  her  return  provided  she  had  not 


78  SICILY. 

eaten.  But  unhappily  the  unfortunate  damsel  had  devoured 
seven  seeds  of  a  pomegranate  in  the  Elysian  fields.  As  usual 
in  the  case  of  clandestine  affairs,  a  compromise  was  effected. 
She  was  to  remain  one  half  of  the  year  with  Pluto,  and  the 
other  with  her  mother.  She  presided  over  death,  and  it  was 
fabled  that  no  one  could  die  if  she  or  her  ministers  did  not 
sever  a  lock  of  hair  from  the  head  of  the  expiring  mortal. 
Glance  over  this  landscape,  for  it  is 

'  That  fair  field 
Of  Enua,  where  Proserpine,  gathering  flowers 
Herself  a  fairer  flower,  by  gloomy  Lis 
Was  gathered,  which  cost  Ceres  all  that  pain 
To  seek  her  through  the  world.'* 

In  summer  the  untilled  land  around  us  is  enamelled  with 
floral  beauty.  Castro  Griovanni,  which  rises  so  nobly  on  the 
hill  to  the  left,  was  the  ancient  Enna,  and  the  favorite  abode 
of  Ceres.  It  is  said  to  stand  in  the  very  centre  of  the  island." 
Many  an  hour  of  their  weary  ride  was  beguiled  by  such 
allusions  to  ancient  times  which  the  various  places  on  the 
road  suggested.  Everywhere  the  tokens  of  Roger's  dominion 
were  visible.  The  lofty  sites  of  the  towns  were  strikingly  in- 
dicative of  the  period  of  their  foundation — an  era  when  the 
secure  fortification  of  cities  was  indispensably  necessary,  es- 
pecially in  an  island  continually  exposed  to  the  invasion  of 
the  Corsairs.  It  was  not  difficult  at  times  to  imagine  that, 
in  the  marked  features  of  the  people,  starting,  as  it  were, 
from  the  shaggy  hoods  of  their  brown  cloaks,  was  discernible 
something  of  the  acuteness  and  fire  of  their  Greek  progeni- 
tors. Some  portions  of  the  highway,  composed  of  argillaceous 
earth,  were  passed  with  difficulty,  from  the  inundation  of  re- 
cent rains ;  and  one  evening,  when  near  the  end  of  their 
journey,  it  was  found  necessary  to  stop  for  the  night  at  a 

*  Paradise  Regained. 


JOURNEY  TO  PALERMO.  79 

locanda  in  the  campagna.  On  entering  tlie  house,  Isabel, 
fatigued  as  she  was,  paused  to  observe  a  pictorial  eflfect 
worthy  of  the  pencil  of  Murillo.  Leaning  against  the  doorway 
of  the  inner  room  stood  a  girl,  of  apparently  fifteen,  shading 
the  lamp  with  her  hand  in  order  to  obtain  a  better  view  of 
the  strangers.  Its  rays  were  thus  cast  up  upon  a  face  more 
bright  and  expressive  than  any  which  she  had  seen  in  Sicily. 
But  what  chiefly  rivetted  her  gaze  were  the  eyes  of  the  dam- 
sel— so  black,  clear,  and  expressive,  as  almost  to  fascinate 
while  they  surprised  the  beholder. 

"  Did  you  remark  the  face  of  that  young  girl  ?"  inquired 
Isabel  of  her  uncle  when  they  were  seated  at  supper. 

'•  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  and  could  not  but  think  what  a 
treasure  to  a  city  belle  would  be  her  magnificent  eyes  and 
snowy  teeth." 

"  By  nature,"  observed  the  count, "  that  maiden  is  endowed 
with  an  intelligent  mind :  you  can  read  it  in  those  flashing 
orbs.  By  nature  she  is  gifted  with  an  amiable  disposition  ; 
you  can  perceive  it  in  her  good-humored  smile.  What  an 
ornament  to  society  might  not  education  make  her !  And 
yet,  such  is  the  seeming  waywardness  of  fate,  this  being,  thus 
capable  of  exerting  an  extensive  and  happy  influence,  will 
live  and  die  more  like  a  vegetable  than  a  human  creature, 
her  powers  cramped  by  ignorance  and  overshadowed  by  su- 
perstition. The  exalted  distinction  of  your  country  is,  that 
there  is  a  fair  field  for  the  gifted ;  whether  peasants  or  citi- 
zens, they  can  freely  exert  their  prerogatives,  for  the  light 
of  knowledge  and  the  atmosphere  of  freedom  is  around  them 
all.  This  poor  girl  has  no  more  opportunity  to  do  justice  to 
herself,  than  the  pearl  in  the  ocean  depths  to  display  its  rich- 
ness, or  the  diamond  in  its  rocky  bed  to  exhibit  its  brilliancy." 

"  Yet  it  is  from  such  truths,"  replied  Isabel,  "  that  many 
delight  to  draw  the  inference  of  a  future  and  less-bounded 


80  SICILY. 

being.  The  endowments  of  a  human  soul,  though  latent 
throughout  life,  become  not  in  consequence  extinct.  The 
pearl  or  the  diamond  may  repose  for  ages  in  obscurity,  or  be 
dissolved  into  their  pristine  elements,  but  spiritual  attributes, 
if  once  created,  live  on  forever,  and  in  some  epoch  of  their 
existence  must,  I  would  fain  believe,  shine  forth  in  the  glory 
ordained  them." 

On  the  following  day  they  crossed  the  narrow  but  swollen 
river  which  anciently  formed  the  boundary  between  the 
Greeks  and  Carthaginians ;  on  the  next  passed  the  celebra- 
ted battle-ground  of  Kugiero,  and  soon  after  came  in  sight 
of  the  sea.  Isabel's  heart  expanded  at  the  view  of  that  ele- 
ment which  connected  her  with  her  country.  It  was  dearly 
familiar  to  her  eye.  The  carriage  turned  an  angle  of  the 
road,  and  directly  before  them  rose  the  abrupt  promontory 
of  Monte  Pelegrino,  the  telegraph  rising  distinctly  from  its 
summit,  while  on  the  plain  below  appeared  the  city  of  Paler- 
mo, environed  by  olive-groves  on  the  one  side,  and  the  Medi- 
terranean on  the  other. 

Whether  the  metropolis  which  greets  the  eye  of  the  trav- 
eller be  an  inland  city,  or  reared  on  the  borders  of  the  deep, 
let  him  mark  well  its  distant  aspect.  Whether  Genoa  rise 
like  an  amphitheatre  of  palaces  and  orange  groves  to  his  sea- 
worn  eye,  or  Florence  repose  amid  its  olive-clad  hills  beneath 
his  entranced  gaze ;  whether  it  be  the  swelling  dome  of  St. 
Peter's,  or  the  oriental  cupola  of  St.  Mark's,  which  crowns 
the  prospect,  let  him  mark  well  its  distant  aspect ;  let  him 
patiently  trace  every  line  of  the  landscape ;  let  him  watch 
the  sunlight  and  shade  as  they  alternately  play  upon  the  edi- 
fices and  the  verdure,  the  heavy  wall  and  the  light-springing 
tower ;  let  him  earnestly  ponder  the  scene,  even  as  he  dwelt 
upon  the  last-fading  landscape  of  his  native  land ;  let  him 
hoard  up  the  associations  of  the  novel  spectacle,  and  feel, 


JOURNEY  TO  PALERMO.  81 

from  a  distant  position,  the  inspiration  of  the  renowned  locali- 
ty— for  when  he  has  once  plunged  into  the  narrow  thorough- 
fares, and  mingled  with  the  motley  crowds  within  the  circle 
of  the  fairy  scene,  how  much  of  the  romance  it  awakens  will 
be  rudely  dispelled  !  how  many  of  its  bright  suggestions  will 
be  coldly  overshadowed !  But  Isabel  gazed  upon  Palermo 
not  only  with  the  curiosity  of  a  traveller  and  the  interest  of 
an  enthusiast ;  she  looked  long  and  earnestly  upon  its  dense 
buildings  and  numerous  domes,  as  if  she  would  ask  the  fair 

capital  if  within  its  wide  walls  was  the  father  she  sought. 

4# 


€)}t  CnpitnL 

To  see  the  wonders  of  the  world  abroad. 

Two  Gentlemen  of  Verona. 

THE  Cassaro  of  Palermo  presents  the  usual  scene  of  min- 
gled pomp  and  poverty  observable  in  the  main  street  of 
every  European  city.  To  one  whose  eye  has  been  familiar 
with  the  red  bricks  and  slated  roofs,  the  green  blinds  and 
cheerful  portals  of  the  American  dwellings,  such  thorough- 
fares are  rife  with  novelty.  He  has  been  accustomed  to  the 
click  of  the  mason's  trowel,  and  the  hasty  greetings  of  hur- 
rying pedestrians,  eager  to  reach  the  scene  of  traffic  or  the 
sanctuary  of  home.  All  around  him  has  worn  an  aspect  of 
freshness ;  everything  has  been  symbolical  of  newness  and 
growth.  How  different  the  view  now  presented  !  The  high 
stone  walls  of  the  ediiSces  throw  a  gloomy  shade  over  the 
broad  flags.  There  is  the  gay  uniform  of  the  soldier  and  the 
dark  robe  of  the  priest.  At  his  side  the  mendicant  urges  his 
petition.  Near  yonder  shrine  a  kneeling  peasant  prays.  In 
the  centre  of  the  street  a  richly-dressed  cavalier  displays  His 
exquisite  horsemanship.  Against  the  adjacent  palace  wall  a 
poorly-clad  old  man  urges  his  donkey,  whose  slender  propor- 
tions are  almost  hidden  beneath  a  towering  load  of  vegetables. 


THE   CAPITAL.  83 

In  the  cafe  opposite,  groups  are  composedly  discussing  the 
merits  of  the  new  'prima  donna  ;  and  near  the  door  a  knot 
of  porters  are  vociferously  disputing  about  the  division  of  a 
penny.  This  dazzling  equipage  is  the  carriage  of  the  arch- 
bishop ;  that  stripling,  with  sheepskin  hose,  is  driving  his 
goats  into  a  yard  to  milk  them,  for  the  table  of  some  English 
resident  who  can  afford  the  luxury.  These  half-naked  boys 
are  "gambling  away,  on  the  sunny  curb-stone,  the  few  grains 
which  some  passer-by  has  thrown  them  in  charity :  the  other 
cluster  of  untidy  women  are  ridding  each  other's  heads  of 
vermin — an  incessant  and  consj^icuous  employment.  From 
the  overhanging,  balconies  flaunts  the  wet  lirien  hung  out  to 
dry,  and  the  venders,  with  baskets  of  fish,  pulse,  and  herbs, 
dexterously  wend  their  way  through  the  vehicles  and  loun- 
gers, and  announce  their  commodities  above  the  hum  and 
shouts  of  the  crowd.  A  file  of  soldiers,  awkwardly  shrouded 
in  loose  gray  coats,  sternly  conduct  a  band  of  miserable 
prisoners  chained  together :  and  a  Capuchin  friar,  with  bare 
head,  long  beard,  and  enormous  sack,  morosely  glides  by,  in 
search  of  alms  for  the  expectant  poor. 

Through  this  heterogeneous  assemblage,  as  Frazier's  car- 
riage was  one  day  passing,  Yittorio  asked  them  to  observe  a 
building  of  unusual  extent. 

"  This  is  one  of  the  two  remaining  establishments,"  said 
he,  "  formerly  possessed  in  Palermo  by  that  once  wealthy  and 
powerful  community — the  Jesuits.  The  broad  airy  court  of 
the  college  is  surrounded  by  spacious  corridors,  conducting  to 
chambers  where  instruction  is  gratuitouslj^  given  in  the  various 
branches  of  literature  and.  science.  This  society  is  one  of  the 
few  truly  useful  fraternities  of  priests  existing  in  Sicily, 
They  are  the  ministers  of  educa,tion,  and  engage  in  their  mis-. 
sion  with  a  zeal  and  an  interest  worthy  of  the  cause," 

"  It  is  ren\ark?>,ble,"  ssiid  Frazier,  "  how  that  intriguing 


84  SICILY. 

association,  wliose  influence  was  once  so  widely  felt,  has 
dwindled  into  insignificance.  Who  would  imagine,  that  in 
those  quiet-looking  young  men  promenading  in  the  yard,  we 
see  members  of  that  sect  whom  we  read  of  as  the  secret 
devotees  of  ambition  in  the  courts  of  princes." 

"  An  incident  occurred  at  their  institution  not  long  since," 
said  Vittorio,  "  which  would  indicate  that  they  are  still  not 
deficient  in  cunning.  One  of  their  number,  who  acted  as 
treasurer,  embezzled  a  sum  of  money,  and  gave  it  as  a  dowry 
to  his  sister  on  her  marriage.  As  he  had  entered  the  society 
quite  poor,  when  the  rumor  of  this  generous  donation  reached 
the  ears  of  the  brethren,  they  held  a  council,  and  having  no 
doubt  of  the  fraud,  ordered  him  into  their  presence,  with  the 
determination  to  banish  him  from  the  college.  Upon  being 
asked  if  he  had  presented  his  sister  with  the  specified  sum, 
he  replied  affirmatively,  and  when  questioned  as  to  the  source 
of  this  sudden  wealth,  answered,  quite  unabashed,  that  he  had 
taken  it  from  the  common  fund.  '  For,'  he  added,  '  is  not  our 
■creed  that  we  are  all  bound  together  by  the  tie  of  Christian 
fellowship,  and  are  obligated,  in  weal  and  woe,  to  aiford  mu- 
tual aid  1  I  took  the  gold,  and  appropriated  it  as  a  dowry 
for  our  sister  in  the  faith,  in  accordance  with  those  principles 
of  charity  and  love  which  we  profess.'  The  sincerity  of  the 
delinquent's  manner,  with  the  force  of  his  arguments,  sealed 
the  lips  of  the  council,  and  he  was  acquitted." 

At  no  great  distance  are  Quartro  Gantoni,  where  the  two 
principal  streets  of  the  metropolis  intersect  each  other  at  right 
angles,  and  whence  one  can  gaze  through  the  long  and  crowded 
vistas  to  the  four  gates.  Upon  the  huge  dark  corners  of  the 
adjacent  palaces  are  hung  the  theatre  advertisements,  and  be- 
low several  fountains  fall  into  old  marble  basins.  No  one 
can  pause  at  this  spot  without  feeling  that  he  is  in  the  very 
centre  of  a  populous  city.     Beyond,  and  separated  from  the 


THE   CAPITAL.  85 

street  by  a  spacious  square,  is  the  cathedral.  Its  interior  is 
wanting  in  effect  from  the  lightness  which  distinguishes  and 
deforms  the  churches  of  the  island.  After  regarding  the  clus- 
ter of  sarcophagi  which  contains  the  ashes  of  the  Sicilian 
sovereigns,  the  travellers  passed  on,  and  entered  a  chaste 
little  chapel  on  the  right  of  the  main  altar. 

"  These  basso-relievos,"  said  the  count,  "  are  the  work  of 
Gaggini.  The  finest  represents  the  angel  of  the  Lord  driving 
away  \Yar,  Famine,  and  Pestilence — the  enemies  of  manliind 
— from  Palermo,  at  the  intercession  of  St.  Rosalia,  whom 
you  see  kneeling  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  smiling  at  the  suc- 
cess of  her  petition.  That  circular  portrait  over  the  altar  is 
a  representation  of  the  fair  saint,  and  beneath  are  preserved, 
in  a  box  of  silver,  studded  with  jewels,  her  mortal  remains. 
The  tradition  is,  that  ages  ago,  Rosalia,  the  daughter  of  a 
wealthy  and  noble  house,  turned  aside  from  the  allurements 
of  pleasure  and  youth,  and  retired  to  the  bleak  summit  of 
Mount  Pelegrino,  to  give  her  life  to  prayer.  Centuries  of 
change  rolled  away,  and  the  story  of  the  lovely  anchorite  was 
lost  in  obscurity  ;  when  the  plague  visited  Palermo.  At  the 
very  height  of  its  ravages,  a  poor  man  of  the  city  dreamed 
that  an  angel  appeared  to  him  in  the  form  of  St.  Rosalia,  di- 
recting him  to  tell  the  archbishop  to  seek  on  the  mountain, 
beneath  her  ancient  retreat,  for  her  bones,  and  bear  them  in 
solemn  procession  through  the  streets,  when  he  was  assured 
the  pestilence  would  instantly  cease.  This  was  done  amid 
much  pomp  and  solemnity,  and  the  promised  miracle  wrought. 
The  senate  immediately  declared  St.  Rosalia  the  protectress 
of  Palermo,  and  ever  since  she  has  been  worshipped  as  their 
patron  saint.  For  five  days  in  July  a  feast  is  held  in  celebra- 
tion of  this  event,  exceeding  in  magnificence  every  similar 
festival.  Fireworks,  social  gayety,  triumphal  processions,  illu- 
minationSj  and  music,  are  the  uninterrupted  announcements 


86  SICILY. 

of  these  greatest  of  Palermitan  holidays ;  and  the  flower- 
decked  car  of  the  saint,  drawn  by  fifty  oxen  covered  with 
garlands,  moves  gayly  along  the  thronged  Toledo." 

At  a  short  distance  from  the  cathedral  is  the  royal  palace, 
where  an  ancient  chapel,  and  one  of  the  finest  observatories 
in  Europe,  interested  the  strangers.  Returning,  Yittorio 
bade  them  note  the  building  now  devoted  to  the  tribunals  in 
the  Piazza  Marina.  It  is  a  Saracenic  structure,  formerly 
the  seat  of  the  inquisition,  and  bears  interesting  evidences  of 
the  date  of  its  erection.  The  best  monument,  however,  of 
this  period  of  Sicilian  history,  an  epoch  involved  in  great  ob- 
scurity, is  a  large  fabric  at  Olivuza,  near  the  city,  called  the 
ziza,  and  supposed  to  have  been  an  emir's  residence. 

The  contrasts,  however,  between  the  Old  and  New  World 
are  not  confined  to  the  results  of  Art.  Around  the  congre- 
gated dwellings  of  both  hemispheres  is  spread  the  varied 
scenery  of  Nature  ;  and  the  sojourner,  if  he  be  not  an  invete- 
rate worldling,  has  been  wont  to  repair  thither  for  solace  and 
refreshment.  Yet  how  different  are  the  emblems  of  her  be- 
nignant presence  from  those  to  which  he  has  been  accustomed  ! 
At  home,  he  gazed  upon  the  flowing  stream,  whose  greatest 
charm  is  its  bright  hue  and  crystal  clearness ;  in  this  distant 
region  he  roams  beside  a  turbid  river,  only  attractive  from 
the  events  of  which  it  has  been  the  scene,  or  the  classic 
legend  which  arrays  it  in  fictitious  glory.  At  home,  his  eye 
rested  upon  cottages  of  wood,  with  orchards  beside  them, 
vegetable  gardens  in  the  rear,  and  hard-by  the  long  well-pole 
poised  in  the  air ;  now  he  beholds  the  peasant's  cottage  of 
stone,  and  the  olive,  aloe,  Indian  fig,  or  grape-vine,  constitute 
the  verdure  around  it.  There  the  little  belfry  of  the  village 
school  rose  conspicuous  ;  here  the  open  shrine  of  some  local 
saint.  There  the  forest  outspread  in  wild  majesty ;  here  the 
cam'pagna   stretches   in   peaceful   undulations.     There   the 


THE  CAPITAL.  87 

chirp  of  the  cricket  announced  the  close  of  day ;  here  the 
tinkling  bell  of  the  returning  mules,  and  Ave  Maria  stealing 
on  the  breeze  usher  in  the  evening.  There  many  an  unin- 
vaded  haunt  repays  the  wanderer  with  romantic  dreams ; 
here  the  spell  of  some  ruined  temple  entrances  his  fancy  with 
hours  of  retrospective  musing.  Still  Nature's  votary  feels 
that  the  same  gentle  companionship  is  with  him,  and  recog- 
nizes the  invisible  spirit  of  the  universe  endeared  by  commu- 
nion in  another  land :  for  there  is  a  well-known  voice  with 
which  she  greets  her  children  in  every  clime. 

One  of  the  most  pleasing  characteristics  of  the  Sicilian 
capital  is  the  beauty  of  its  environs.  It  is  a  curious  fact, 
that  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  mountains  which  en- 
viron the  city  is  strikingly  similar  to  Vesuvius  ;  while  Mount 
Pelegrino,  from  one  point  of  view,  presents  the  same  form  and 
general  aspect  as  the  rock  of  Gibraltar.  Many  happy  hours, 
when  the  state  of  elements  was  auspicious,  were  passed  by 
Frazier,  his  niece,  and  their  friend,  in  rides  and  walks  amid 
the  quiet  and  fertile  country  about  Palermo.  Sometimes  on 
horseback  they  ascended  to  Monreale,  a  picturesque  town 
about  four  miles  from  the  city,  where  the  Norman  kings  are 
buried.  The  old  church  here  situated  was  built  by  William 
I.,  and  is  lined  with  mosaics,  which  serve  admirably  to  awaken 
the  associations  of  that  primitive  era  after  the  establishment 
of  Christianity,  when  the  zeal  of  her  advocates  was  expended 
upon  gorgeous  temples  and  elaborate  ornaments.  Still  higher, 
a  rich  convent  of  Benedictines  affords  another  fine  point  of 
view.  When  the  visitor  had  satisfied  his  curiosity  in  noting 
the  marble  and  alabaster,  the  literary  rareties  and  antique 
relics  which  enrich  this  establishment,  tenanted,  like  the  one 
at  Catania,  exclusively  by  noblemen  ;  when  his  gaze  is  weary 
with  regarding  the  paintings  of  Monrealese — the  best  of 
Sicilian  artists — which  decorate  its  walls :  he  can  survey  the 


88  SICILY. 

broad  and  verdant  plain,  the  distant  city,  and  its  sea-bright 
boundary,  spread  out  in  rich  contrast  below.  A  still  more 
favorite  observatory,  nearer  the  metropolis,  is  the  site  of  an 
old  asylum  of  the  followers  of  St.  Francis — the  monastery  of 
Maria  di  Gesu,  on  the  side  of  the  opposite  mountain.  From 
the  path  constructed  along  the  cliff,  one  can  look  forth  upon 
this  picture,  pausing  at  will  to  mark  its  varying  features  as 
he  ascends  the  umbrageous  hill-side.  Indeed  the  public  and 
private  edifices  which  command  views  of  this  unrivalled 
scene,  are  numerous  enough  to  satisfy  the  taste  of  the  most 
fastidious  admirer  of  the  picturesque  ;  and  no  more  delight- 
ful excursion  can  be  imagined  than  the  circuit  of  the  entire 
plain  on  a  fine  day.  It  is  adorned  by  the  villas  of  many  noble 
families,  which  are  surrounded  with  enclosures  well  stocked 
with  every  description  of  tree,  shrub,  and  flower.  The  beau- 
tiful effect  of  these  gardens  is  enhanced  by  statues,  whose 
white  hue  is  relieved  by  the  evergreen  around  their  pedestals, 
and  many  ingenious  devices  to  amuse  and  surprise  the  visitor. 
One  of  these  domains,  erected  by  the  late  king,  is  arranged 
in  the  Chinese  style. 

How  peace-inspiring  seemed  that  valley  to  the  eye  of 
Isabel,  reposing  with  its  grain  fields  and  olive  orchards,  many 
of  them  planted  by  the  Saracens,  its  orange  clusters  and  cy- 
presses, its  villas  and  almond-trees,  with  the  mountains  en- 
circling, like  majestic  sentinels,  its  fertile  precincts,  the 
domes  and  roofs  of  Palermo  rising  time-hallowed  from  amid 
its  green  beauty,  and  beyond  all,  the  wide  and  sparkling  sea ! 
In  early  spring,  all  there  is  perfume  and  song,  and  not  even 
when  the  snow  lies  in  heavy  masses  upon  the  hill-tops,  does 
it  cease  to  cheer  the  sight  with  its  evergreen  garniture. 

"  Let  us  pause,"  said  Yittorio,  one  day,  when  they  had 
arrived  at  a  solitary  and  elevated  part  of  the  rocky  environ- 
ment.    They  stood  still  and   looked  forth   upon  the  vale. 


THE   CAPITAL.  39 

"  The  first  impression,  I  think,"  continued  he,  "  is  that  of 
abundance.  We  do  not  merely  see,  we  feel,  as  it  were,  the 
luxuriance  of  the  earth.  A  new  sense  of  nature's  productive- 
ness is  borne  to  the  mind,  as  it  contemplates  such  verdure 
and  plenty.  But  while  we  gaze,  another  and  higher  feeling 
possesses  us.  The  tranquillity  of  the  landscape  soothes  every 
common  passion  into  quietness,  and  lures  all  care-born  rest- 
lessness to  sleep.  Something  of  the  calm  happiness  of  pri- 
meval existence  seems  to  breathe  from  so  Eden-like  a 
prospect ;  and  from  the  lulled  waters  of  the  spirit,  as  the 
ancients  fabled  of  the  birth  of  beauty,  emerges  the  brightest 
creation  of  thought,  the  fairest  offspring  of  emotion  ; — a  sen- 
timent of  confidence  in  our  origin  and  destiny,  a  speechless 
gratitude,  an  undefined  hope,  a  self-content,  alike  inexplicable 
and  blessed.  Is  it  that  we  imbibe  the  lano-uage  of  the  uni- 
verse,  or  are  exhilarated  by  her  music  1  Is  it  that  we  momen- 
tarily lose  the  weight  of  life's  burden,  or  forget  in  so  cheering 
a  presence,  that  the  earth  is  not  a  garden  ?" 

"  It  is,  perhaps,"  replied  Isabel,  "  that  we  realize  anew  the 
goodness  of  the  Creator,  and  thus  renew  our  faith  in  his  pa- 
ternity. The  world  often  seconds  the  chill  and  dark  creed 
of  the  skeptic,  while  Nature  ever  encourages  the  hopes  of  the 
heart.  We  see  the  beauty  lavished  upon  the  physical  uni- 
verse, and  comes  there  not  thence  an  assurance  that  if  the 
domain  of  matter  is  thus  cared  for  and  enriched,  the  quench- 
less, living  spirit  is  destined  to  renewal,  progression,  and  hap- 
piness ?" 

From  the  upper  end  of  the  Marina,  if  the  equestrian  in- 
clines to  the  right,  he  comes  out  upon  a  broad,  level  space, 
called  the  plain  of  Erasmus.  A  group  of  bare-legged  fisher- 
men, with  their  nets  spread  out  for  repair  upon  the  green- 
sward, two  or  three  cord-weavers,  or  a  knot  of  the  country 
guards  lounging  in  the  noon-tide  sun,  appeared  scattered  over 


90  SICILY. 

this  field ;  after  crossing  which,  one  passes  a  pretty  little 
churchj  where  the  victims  of  the  law  are  buried,  and  soon 
arrives  at  the  old  Saracenic  bridge  that  spans  the  Oreto. 
This  river,  now  shrunk  to  the  dimensions  of  a  mere  brook, 
constituted  the  scene  of  a  noted  galley  combat  which  is  said 
to  have  occurred  near  Monreale.  Its  wide  bed  and  high 
embankments  are  still  easily  traced.  The  aspect  of  this 
vicinity  is  rendered  picturesque  by  masses  of  broken  wall, 
half-covered  with  vegetation,  and  several  tall,  square  water 
pillars  wreathed  with  thick  hanging  weeds. 

It  was  a  mild  and  autumn-like  day,  and  already  long  past 
noon,  when  the  travellers,  returning  from  a  sequestered  road, 
along  which  their  horses  had  been  slowly  pacing  for  a  consid- 
erable time,  found  themselves  again  in  this  somewhat  familiar 
spot.  There  was  a  freshness  as  well  as  solemnity  in  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  cypress  grove  which  rose  before  them ;  and 
they  readily  turned  into  the  almost  deserted  way,  left  their 
steeds  at  the  gate,  and  entered  the  Campo  Santo.  As  they 
did  so,  two  men,  bearing  a  black  sedan-chair — the  bier  of  the 
lower  orders — appeared,  proceeding  slowly  up  the  grassy 
pathway.  No  other  moving  object  disturbed  the  profound 
repose  of  the  burial-place,  save  the  swaying  tops  of  the  gloomy 
trees,  and  the  nodding  of  some  spire  of  herbage  which  had 
shot  up  higher  than  its  fellows.  Rows  of  square  flag-stones 
intersected  the  ground  at  equal  distances,  denoting  the  huge 
pits  into  which  the  naked  corpses  are  promiscuously  thrown, 
with  as  little  ceremony,  and  less  feeling,  perhaps,  than  the 
fish-packers  of  the  neighboring  coast  manifest  in  arranging 
their  prey.  A  low,  rude  cross,  placed  near  one  of  the  reser- 
voirs, indicated  that  it  was  unsealed  for  the  day's  interments, 
if  so  rude  a  disposition  of  the  dead  merits  the  name.  The 
strangers  involuntarily  paused.  They  had  been  inhaling  the 
balmy  and  living  breath  of  nature  ;  the  hum  of  a  populous 


THE   CAPITAL.  91 

city  had  scarcely  died  away  upon  their  ears  ;  their  conversa- 
tion had  been  lively  and  hopeful,  for  few  can  resist  the  exhil- 
arating influence  of  a  ride  on  horseback  beneath  a  lovely  sky, 
and  in  sight  of  evergreen  foliage  and  blue-waving  hills  ;  and 
now  they  were  in  the  silent  precincts  of  a  grave-yard,  sur- 
rounded by  the  emblems  of  death.  An  old  and  miserably 
clad  friar  emerged  from  the  building  which  bounds  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  cemetery,  and  approaching  the  group,  offered 
to  display  the  wonders  of  the  establishment,  with  as  much 
complacency  as  the  cicerone  of  a  gallery  of  art  or  continental 
museum  would  have  manifested.  To  one  who  travels  not  so 
much  to  acquire  miscellaneous  information  as  to  realize  truth ; 
not  with  a  view  to  court  novelty,  but  to  awaken  thought ;  not 
merely  to  be  amused,  but  enjoy  associations  and  feast  imagi- 
nation ;  to  one,  in  a  word,  who  seeks  in  foreign  scenes  eon- 
genial  mental  excitement,  there  is  nothing  more  vexatious 
than  the  officiousness,  intrusion,  and  affected  jargon  of  those 
who  act  as  guides  and  showmen  about  the  interesting  locali- 
ties of  Europe.  Isabel  shuddered  as  she  beheld  this  veteran 
dweller  amons;  the  dead,  and  marked  the  indifference  to 
scenes  of  mortality  which  familiarity  had  induced,  Frazier 
followed  the  monk, -while  Isabel  and  the  count  walked  to  and 
fro  in  an  area  of  the  sunny  enclosure. 

"  This,"  said  he,  '•  is  the  burial-place  of  the  poorer  classes. 
Their  ideas  of  doing  honor  to  the  dead  are  quite  peculiar. 
Those  who  have  the  means  engage  the  old  friar  and  his  assis- 
tants to  preserve  the  embalmed  bodies  or  skeletons  of  their 
friends,  which  are  placed  in  hideous  array,  some  of  them 
dressed  out  in  the  gayest  dresses,  in  the  lower  chambers  of 
that  edifice.  The  poor  relatives  of  the  deceased  yearly  re- 
new the  vesture  and  ornaments  of  the  withered  bodies,  deem- 
ing this  a  testimony  of  their  remembrance.  What  a  dismal 
manner  of  manifesting  the  sentiment !     Yet  how  affecting  ia 


92  SICILY. 

this  clinging  to  the  mere  casket  of  life  !  How  does  it  pro- 
claim the  earnestness  with  which  the  most  unenlightened  re- 
pel the  thought  of  annihilation  !  But  does  not  such  attach- 
ment to  the  mortal  remains  evince  how  dimly  the  idea  of 
immortality  has  dawned  upon  the  minds  of  these  ignorant 
people?  Is  it  not  another  proof  of  the  unspiritual  tendency 
of  their  religion,  as  popularly  believed?  Intelligent  men 
often  ridicule  what  they  call  the  visionary  tenets  of  some  of 
the  more  refined  sects — but  what  can  obviate  the  appalling 
impression  that  death  and  decay  awaken,  but  a  faith,  not 
merely  general,  but  elaborately  constructed  from  our  inmost 
experience,  and  vivified  by  revelation — a  faith  that  recognizes 
an  existence  perfectly  independent  of  physical  life — a  faith 
that  habitually  regards  the  tides  of  thought  and  love  as  al- 
ready merged  in  the  ocean  of  eternity,  though  now  connected 
by  a  narrow  and  ever  evaporating  stream  with  the  river  of 
Time?" 

"  Still,"  said  Isabel,  "  it  is  not  every  one  who  can  best 
keep  alive  the  glorious  truth  of  an  after-existence,  by  thus 
maintaining  a  sense  of  the  distinctness  of  our  two  lives. 
With  many  they  are  too  much  interwoven ;  and  with  all  the 
inner  and  the  outer  world,  more  or  less  commingle.  There- 
fore it  is,  I  think,  that  the  cemetery  should  be  hallowed  by 
nature,  and  rendered  eloquent  by  art.  It  seems  to  me  that 
many  of  the  customs  of  Europe,  in  regard  to  the  dead,  evi- 
dence anything  but  Christian  civilization,  and  I  turn  with 
pleasure  and  gratitude  from  this  horrid  receptacle,  to  the 
picture  my  memory  affords  of  the  beautiful  cemetery  at  New 
Haven,  and  the  quiet  and  soothing  precinct  of  Mount  Au- 
burn, where  naught  meets  the  eye  but  chaste  marble  memo- 
rials, the  refreshing  hue  of  the  greenwood,  and  the  flowers 
which  enamel  the  graves." 

"  That  is  happy,"  said  the  count.     "  Such  scenes  should 


THE  CAPITAL.  93 

not  remind  us  of  the  earthly  remains,  but  of  the  enfranchised 
spirit.  Who  would  linger  over  the  clay,  when  the  friend  it 
impersonated  has  vanished  ?  An  accustomed  walk  or  a  fa- 
vorite book  is  more  emblematical  of  the  departed  than  his 
senseless  frame ;  for  the  first  ministered  to  his  deathless  self 
— with  the  last  his  connection  has  utterly  ceased.  To  pre- 
serve and  cherish  so  wretched  a  memorial,  so  earth-born  and 
material  a  symbol,  is  as  soulless  as  for  the  prisoner  to  fix  his 
eye  upon  the  dim  walls  of  his  dungeon,  when  a  star  beams 
radiantly  through  his  cold  grate,  as  if  to  call  his  gaze  heaven- 
ward " 


€)}t  Jlnnitiate. 

But  when  it  happens  that  of  two  euro  evils 

One  must  be  taken,  where  the  heart  not  wholly 

Brings  itself  back  from  out  the  strife  of  duties, 

Then  'tis  a  blessing  to  have  no  election.  Wallknstein. 

THE  prevalence  of  monastic  institutions  is  one  of  the  most 
striking  features  of  Sicily.  Originated  during  the  do- 
minion of  the  Spaniards,  like  ill  weeds  thej  have  taken  deep 
root,  and  quite  overrun  the  verdant  island.  In  the  country 
they  occupy  the  most  desirable  sites,  and  in  almost  every 
street  of  the  capital  the  high  gratings  of  the  nunneries  appear 
protruding  from  their  lofty  walls.  Thousands  of  the  fairest 
daughters  of  the  land  are  immured  within  these  spacious  asy- 
/  lums.  Among  such  a  multitude,  some  doubtless  are  devoted 
I  to  that  religious  meditation  which  is  the  professed  object  of 
their  seclusion ;  but  the  majority  manifest  as  lively  an  inter- 
est  in  the  world  they  have  renounced  as  the  busiest  of  its 
denizens.  By  means  of  their  friends  they  are  constantly  in- 
formed of  the  events  of  the  day,  and  manage  to  maintain  a 
surprising  acquaintance  with  the  intrigues  and  doings  of  the 
metropolis.  Indeed,  a  half-hour's  chat  with  one  of  these  fair 
recluses,  is  said  to  subserve  the  purposes  of  the  gossip  better 
than  a  gazette,  of  which  there  is  quite  a  dearth.     And  in  re- 


THE  NOVITIATE.  95 

turn  for  the  sweet  scandal  the  wicked  world  provides  them, 
they  are  constantly  distributing  presents  of  comfits.  By  this 
demi-intercourse  with  their  fellow-beings,  and  in  attending  to 
their  share  of  the  duty  and  ceremonial  of  the  house,  their 
hours  glide  by.  and  every  year  adds  to  their  number.  Isabel 
availed  herself  of  an  occasion  which  offered  to  witness  the 
rite  by  which  a  novitiate  was  entered  upon.  The  daughter 
of  a  merchant  with  whom  Frazier  was  acquainted  being  about 
to  perform  these  vows,  he  invited  the  strangers  to  attend  the 
function. 

It  was  the  last  day  of  the  month.  As  the  carriage  rolled 
over  the  flat  pavements  through  the  crowded  Toledo,  lights 
gleaming  from  the  cafes  and  shops,  fell  on  groups  of  mechan- 
ics toiling  by  the  wide  thresholds,  shelves  of  confectionery 
thrust  forth  to  tempt  the  passengers,  and  now  and  then  re- 
vealed a  set  of  grotesquely  clad  buffoons — the  light-hearted 
celebrators  of  the  carnival,  surrounded  by  a  laughing  mob. 
Now  they  passed  an  elegant  equipage,  with  its  complement 
of  dashing  footmen ;  and  now  the  white  robes  of  a  Dominican 
friar  fluttered  by.  One  moment  Isabel  admired  the  dexter- 
ity of  the  coachmen  as  they  drove  furiously  on,  the  wheels 
of  their  vehicles  almost  in  contact ;  another  gazed  upon  a 
fountain,  murmuring  amid  its  old  sculptured  ornaments  and 
weed-grown  inscriptions ;  and  the  next  instant  they  turned 
into  another  street — dark  and  silent  but  for  the  clear  echo 
of  their  horses'  feet  as  they  struck  the  flag-stones.  Riding 
rapidly  through  the  streets  of  an  European  city  produces  in 
the  stranger's  mind  a  novel  excitement.  One  thought  pre- 
dominated in  the  mind  of  Isabel.  She  remembered  that  the 
insignia  of  life,  of  active  and  cheerful  existence,  whose  inspi- 
ration she  then  felt,  was  about  to  be  abandoned  by  her  whose 
vows  she  was  soon  to  hear.  She  endeavored  to  imagine  her 
own  feelings  if  such  were  her  lot. 


96  SICILY. 

"  It  is  not  love  of  what  is  called  the  world" — (thus  she 
mused) — "  that  would  make  such  an  hour  dismal  to  me.  I 
am  not  indissolublj  wedded  to  the  pursuit  of  pleasure.  Long 
since  I  have  realized  the  vanity  of  the  petty  triumphs  sought 
in  artificial  society.  I  should  mourn  to  quit  life  because  it 
is  the  arena  of  experience,  the  sphere  of  duty,  the  lot  of  my 
race.  I  would  not,  if  I  could,  escape  the  common  destiny  of 
a  human  being.  I  would  share  in  the  toil,  anxiety,  and  suf- 
fering— I  would  take  part  in  the  higher  enjoyments — I  would 
have  my  inheritance  in  the  kingdom  of  thought  and  affection, 
because  it  is  human.  A  mightier  will  than  mine  placed  me 
here ;  a  holier  agency  than  that  of  accident  creates  the  cir- 
cumstances of  life.  Let  the  afflictions,  the  temptations,  the 
cares  of  being  be  endured ;  let  me  be  free  to  commune  with 
nature  and  society ;  let  me  courageously  fulfil  my  destiny ; 
and  for  the  truth  that  shall  guide  and  protect  me,  let  me  trust 
to  the  paternity  of  Grod." 

The  strain  of  her  meditations  was  abruptly  broken  by 
their  arrival  at  the  convent.  They  entered  the  2^arlatoriOj 
or  conversation-room.  It  was  already  half  filled  with  com- 
pany, who,  to  judge  by  their  gay  dresses,  and  the  occasional 
laughter  and  lively  discourse  with  which  they  were  beguiling 
the  time,  one  would  suppose  had  assembled  for  some  purpose 
of  glad  festivit}^  At  the  head  of  the  room,  surrounded  by 
the  ladies  of  her  family,  and  the  companions  of  her  youth, 
sat  the  maiden  on  whose  account  they  had  assembled.  She 
was  tall,  and  of  that  form  which,  at  a  glance,  we  are  apt  to 
denominate  genteel.  A  dress  of  white  satin,  richly  decorated 
with  lace,  showed  to  the  best  advantage  her  fine,  intelligent 
face,  dark  eyes  shaded  with  Iqng  black  lashes,  and  head  of 
hair,  amid  the  ebon  masses  of  which  clusters  of  diamonds 
glittered  beneath  a  knot  of  snow-white  ostrich  feathers  that 
nodded  above,  and  gave  to  the  tout  ensemble  a  queen-liko 


THE  NOVITIATE.  97 

aspect.  This  impression  was  enhanced  by  the  air  and  man- 
ner of  the  lady.  Occasionally  turning  to  a  party  of  nuns  who 
clustered  about  the  open  door  which  formed  the  limits  of 
their  asylum,  she  replied  to  their  words  of  encouragement 
with  an  affable  dignity.  Sometimes  addressing  her  mother, 
who  sat  beside  her,  she  seemed  to  perform  the  same  kind 
office  of  consolation  to  her.  At  the  entrance  of  one  of  the 
friends  whose  society  had  enlivened,  with  girlish  playfulness, 
many  an  hour  of  her  young  life,  she  rose,  and  gracefully, 
often  even  joyously,  saluted  her,  as  if  she  were  receiving  the 
gratulations  of  a  bride.  Sometimes  she  caressed  her  little 
brother,  a  pretty  boy  of  five  or  six,  apparently  delighted  at 
the  brilliant  costume  of  his  lovely  sister :  at  others,  although 
but  momentarily,  she  would  sit  silently  looking  around  her, 
as  if  called  for  the  first  time  to  play  the  part  of  an  enter- 
tainer, and  as  yet  unskilled  in  disguising  the  weariness  which 
too  often  renders  that  character  one  of  the  most  onerous  in 
the  whole  range  of  social  requisitions.  A  blithe  tone,  pleas- 
ant, talkative  mood,  and  happy  smile,  distinguished  her  from 
the  other  young  ladies  upon  whose  faces  seriousness  would 
oftener  rest,  and  glances  of  thoughtful  regret  not  unfrequent- 
ly  be  cast  towards  their  smiling  friend.  Isabel  watched  the 
scene,  and  recalled  the  beautiful  simile  which  compares  an 
unconscious  sufferer  to  the  sacrificial  victim  that  wears  proud- 
ly and  playfully  nibbles  the  flowery  garlands,  that  to  all  else 
are  emblems  of  its  approaching  fate.  Ices  and  sweetmeats 
were  distributed.  The  buzz  of  conversation  rose  and  fell. 
There  were  pleasant  jests  and  calm  discussions  among  the 
party,  and  as  little  apparent  commiseration  as  the  ancient 
assemblies  at  the  gladiatorial  combats  were  wont  to  show  for 
the  beings  whose  death  was  to  be  barbarously  consummated 
for  their  amusement.  Isabel  was  separated  from  her  friends, 
and  found  herself  near  some  acquaintances  with  whom  she 

5 


98  SICILY. 

had  little  sympathy ;  and  after  the  ordinary  greetings  wero 
interchanged,  was  at  liberty  to  entertain  herself  with  her  own 
thoughts.  These  were  soon  entirely  engrossed  in  attempting 
to  conjecture  the  motives  and  present  feelings  of  the  novi- 
tiate. She  was  speeeily  convinced  that  there  was  a  deep 
sentiment  veiled  by  the  blitheness  of  her  manner ;  an  eye  and 
a  contour  so  speakingly  intelligent,  she  was  convinced,  apper- 
tained to  a  mind  that'  could  pierce  the  shadows  of  gross  su- 
perstition, and  a  heart  with  a  capacity  of  feeling  which  had, 
or  would  ere  long,  occasion  its  possessor  intense  suffering. 
Thus  her  sympathy  was  earnestly  excited ;  nor  could  she 
relieve  the  longing  she  felt  to  interfere  with  the  proposed 
vows,  till  she  was  assured  that  after  a  year's  trial  the  novice 
would  be  at  liberty  to  leave  the  convent.  This  consideration, 
however,  would  not  have  greatly  solaced  Isabel  had  she  been 
aware  of  the  means  assiduously  used  to  rivet  the  chain  of 
motives  which  first  allure  the  voun"^  to  make  trial  of  conven- 
tual  life.  From  i\\Q  pcirlatorio  the  company  adjourned  to 
the  church,  which  was  brilliantly  lighted  for  the  ceremony. 
Isabel,  as  a  stranger,  was  provided  with  a  place  near  the 
grate,  about  which  a  dense  crowd  soon  collected.  The  priest 
at  the  main  altar  commenced  a  mass.  An  orchestra,  stationed 
in  a  high  gallery,  began  a  sacred  strain,  and  turning  to  the 
chapel  she  saw  a  procession  of  the  sisterhood  approaching, 
bearing  lighted  tapers,  and  in  the  midst  walked  the  novice. 
They  encircled  a  little  platform,  placed  just  within  the  lattice, 
on  which  sat  the  abbess  and  her  assistants,  and  at  the  feet 
of  the  former  kneeled  the  devoted  maiden.  She  was  still 
apparelled  in  her  ball-room  attire,  but  a  crown  of  flowers  was 
substituted  for  the  jewels  and  plumes,  and  in  her  right  hand 
she  bore  a  waud  of  palm.  At  Isabel's  side,  in  a  high  chair, 
covered  with  crimson  velvet,  sat  the  officiating  priest.  The 
aged  mother  of  the  institution  threw  back  her  silken  cowl, 


THE  NOVITIATE.  99 

drew  forth  and  assumed  her  tortoise-shell  spectacles,  and 
opened  the  ritual.  Isabel  noted  the  picture  as  the  soft  ra- 
diance of  the  numerous  lights  fell  on  the  upturned  face  of  the 
novice  and  the  timc-^-ithered  lineaments  of  the  abbess.  In 
the  one  she  read  youth  and  innocence — the  harmony  of  a  con- 
fiding and  undlmmed  nature  ;  in  the  other,  the  traces  of  ex- 
perience, the  expression  of  command,  the  quiet  and  fixed 
features  of  that  epoch  in  life  when  Hope's  visions  have  melted 
away,  and  the  listless  content  of  subdued  feeling,  like  the 
calm  surface  of  a  summer  sea,  reflects  what  is  around,  but 
stirs  not  in  the  exhausted  breeze  of  fresh  emotion.  She  ob- 
served the  bright  eye  of  the  maiden  glance  kindly  at  the 
younger  nuns  ;  and,  as  the  monotonous  recitative  of  the  priest 
succeeded  that  of  the  women,  on  her  fresh  lips  stole  such  a 
smile,  as  she  caught  the  eye  of  the  old  lady,  as  would  have 
provoked  a  responsive  look  from  one  more  sensible  to  such 
an  appeal  or  less  disciplined  in  self-control.  A  lock  of  the 
dark  hair  was  severed,  and  the  silken  curtain  drawn.  In  a 
few  moments  it  was  again  thrown  back,  and,  arrayed  in  the 
black  robe  and  white  cape  of  a  nun,  appeared  the  inducted 
novice.  The  dress  was  smgularly  becoming — more  so  than 
that  it  had  displaced.  Again  she  kneeled,  and  the  preacher 
commenced  his  exhortation.  Fervently  did  he  congratulate 
the  fair  girl  on  her  choice.  Eloquently  did  he  picture  the 
evils  she  had  escaped  and  the  blessings  she  had  secured. 
There  was  sincerity  in  his  tones :  but  Isabel  remembered  the 
silver  sweetness  of  voice  which  the  novice's  responses  had 
betrayed,  and  the  spell  of  the  speaker's  was  lost.  She  turned 
to  the  mother,  and  saw  the  tears  roll  down  upon  the  lace 
'kerchief  which  covered  the  breast  whereon  this  lovely  crea- 
ture had  so  often  reposed.  The  little  brother  of  the  novitiate, 
whether  offended  by  her  new  array,  or  touched  with  the  so- 
lemnity of  the  scene,  became  very  restless,  and  after  many 


100  SICILY. 

vain  attempts  to  attract  his  mother's  attention,  began  to  cry 
piteouslj,  as  if  in  remonstrance  to  the  vows  with  which  they 
were  severing  from  him,  perhaps  forever,  an  indulgent  and 
fond  sister.  His  wailing  was  not  suffered  to  interrupt  the 
orator,  who  continued  his  discourse.  The  child  was  hurried 
from  the  crowd.  Isabel  observed,  that  throughout  the  cere- 
mony the  novice  ventured  not  a  glance  towards  her  kindred 
and  friends  gathered  about  the  tressil  partition ;  but  she  saw 
her  breast  heave  beneath  the  folds  of  her  sacred  habit,  and 
fancied  that  not  one  of  her  mother's  sighs  escaped  her  ear. 
When  the  address  was  brought  to  a  close,  the  nuns  pressed 
forward  and  embraced  the  new  member  of  their  societ}^  The 
company  in  the  church  slowly  withdrew.  Isabel  followed  the 
ladies  to  the  7:'«r/«?or/ci,  and  entered  just  as  the  mother  and 
daughter  were  embracing.  A  throng  of  congratulating  friends 
encircled  the  novitiate.  Isabel  wished,  for  her  sake,  that  all 
was  over.  But  soon  the  maiden  eagerly  inquired  for  her 
father.  He  was  in  a  distant  corner  of  the  apartment.  When 
he  approached,  his  beautiful  daughter,  clad,  as  it  seemed  to 
the  strangers,  in  the  habiliments  of  a  living  grave,  kissed  him 
affectionately.  Isabel  saw  him  whisper  to  the  abbess,  and 
doubted  not  it  was  a  request  to  treat  his  child  kindly.  She 
thought  of  her  own  parent,  and  asked  herself  whether  he 
could  thus  leave  her  to  linger  out  a  sad  existence  in  the 
cloister.  The  idea  chilled  her  very  soul ;  and,  seizing  the 
proffered  arm  of  her  uncle,  they  hurried  from  the  place. 

The  Marina  of  Palermo  is  one  of  the  most  admirable 
promenades  in  Europe.  By  many  continental  travellers  it  is 
deemed  unsurpassed.  The  broad,  blue  expanse  of  the  bay 
rolls  to  the  very  base  of  the  long  and  smoothly-paved  walk; 
a  spacious  and  level  road  for  carriages  lies  between  this  and 
the  range  of  palaces  and  gardens  which  bound  it  on  the  op- 
posite  side;  while   at  both  extremities  the  noble  promon- 


THE  NOVITIATE.  101 

tories,  which  rear  themselves  proteetingly,  and  enclose  the 
harbor,  shield  the  beautiful  resort  and  gratify  the  eye  of  the 
visitor.  Thus  the  imposing  vicinity  of  the  finest  edifices,  the 
verdure  and  perfume  of  a  public  garden,  and  the  cool  bright 
sea,  are  concentrated,  as  it  were,  around  this  magnificent 
Marina.  Those  who  dislike  the  vicinity  of  vehicles  and 
horsemen  can  repair  to  the  terrace  which  rises  above  the 
road,  and  extends  to  half  the  length  of  the  drive.  The  con- 
tinuance of  this  upper  walk  is  all  that  is  wanting  to  complete 
the  splendid  promenade.  On  gala  days  nothing  can  exceed 
the  cheerful  and  elegant  aspect  of  this  scene.  Equipages,  of 
every  degree  of  richness,  pass  in  long  lines  to  and  fro  through 
the  centre,  and  the  walks  appear  thronged  with  the  various 
costumes  of  southern  Europe.  And  daily,  at  all  seasons, 
about  two  hours  after  mid-day,  the  stranger  may  find  it  more 
or  less  fashionably  occupied.  But  it  is  in  the  summer  even- 
ings that  the  Marina  of  Palermo  appears  to  the  greatest  ad- 
vantage, and  is  most  generally  and  consciously  enjoyed. 
Half  the  population  repair  thither  to  enjoy  the  sea-breeze. 
The  distant  mountains  are  robed  in  a  greener  hue ;  the  adja- 
cent groves  are  clothed  in  the  richest  tints ;  the  ocean  coolly 
murmurs,  and  stretches,  like  a  crystal  plain,  before  the  eye 
wearied  with  the  scorching  heat  of  these  southern  skies.  The 
burning  sun  is  slowly  sinking  in  the  west.  Then  the  nobility 
seek,  in  their  open  carriages,  the  refreshing  breeze  from  the 
ocean.  The  fat  priest  seats  himself  on  one  of  the  marble 
benches ;  the  soldier  leans  upon  his  musket,  and  raises  his 
heavy  cap,  to  catch  the  delicious  air  ;  the  freed  child  gambols 
along  the  terrace  walk ;  the  languid  beauty  readily  accepts 
the  ice  which  her  gallant  proffers  at  the  side  of  her  landau ; 
and  to  stir  the  serenity  of  the  scene  with  a  congenial  excite- 
ment, music,  from  a  band  stationed  about  the  centre  of  the 
drive,  in  a  temporary  theatre,  steals  forth  ,to  cheer  and  to 


102  SICILY. 

charm  the  gay  multitude.  Such  is  the  Marina  on  a  summer 
night.  But  when  Frazier  and  the  count,  obeying  the  sug- 
gestion of  Isabel,  left  the  carriage  at  one  of  the  gates,  and 
came  out  upon  the  promenade,  it  was  almost  entirely  solitary. 
In  the  distance,  the  figure  of  a  single  individual  might  be 
seen  hurrying  along ;  and  at  one  or  two  points  a  knot  of 
fishermen  were  arranging  their  nets.  High,  dark,  and  tower- 
ing rose  the  mountains,  and  the  foliage  seemed  blent  in  one 
heavy  mass.  But  over  the  face  of  the  sea,  and  on  the  palace 
roofs,  the  beams  of  the  full  moon  glittered ;  and  the  foam- 
streaks  shone  in  the  mild  light,  as  they  ran,  with  a  plaintive 
and  hollow  murmur,  along  the  stones.  As  Isabel  and  her 
companions  gained  the  walk,  and  felt  the  soothing  effect  of 
a  promenade  by  the  sea  at  so  quiet  an  hour,  they  wondered 
that  so  few  had  improved  the  privileged  time.  But  her  mind 
was  intent  upon  the  scene  she  had  left.  The  light  demeanor 
of  the  young  novitiate,  the  interesting  expression  of  her  face, 
the  solemnity  of  the  rite,  remained  vividly  impressed  upon 
her  mind  ;  and  she  was  eager  in  her  inquiries  of  Yittorio  as 
to  the  views  of  the  parent  and  the  feelings  of  the  child. 

"  You  must  have  observed  me,"  he  replied,  "  conversing 
with  a  young  man  in  the  parlatorio^  who  was  seated  near 
your  uncle.  That  youth,  more  than  two  years  since,  became 
enamored  of  the  novice.  He  had  a  small  income — not,  how- 
ever, sufficient  to  warrant  his  marriage  unassisted  by  addi- 
tional means.  His  affection  was  reciprocated.  The  father 
of  the  young  lady  is  a  man  of  wealth.  At  the  commence- 
ment of  the  suit  he  objected  to  its  consummation  on  several 
trivial  grounds.  These  difficulties  were  at  length  obviated  ; 
but  the  father  at  last  peremptorily  refused  to  advance  his 
daughter  the  sum  requisite  for  her  establishment.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  he  could  have  done  this  without  any  actual 
sacrifice  •  but  he  is  a  man  who  has  gained  his  property  slowly, 


THE  NOVITIATE.  103 

and,  in  its  acquisition,  has  acquired  that  base  love  of  wealth 
for  its  own  sake,  which  too  often  shows  itself  stronger  than 
those  affections  which  are  the  deejDest,  and  should  be  the 
most  inviolate  sentiments  of  the  heart.  The  daughter,  wea- 
ried with  the  disappointment  and  suspense  of  her  situation, 
and  despairing  of  any  favorable  change,  resolved  to  quit  the 
world." 

"  This  accounts,"  said  Isabel,  "  for  i\iQ  smiling  manner  in 
which  she  went  through  the  ceremony.  It  was  the  levity  of 
hopelessness,  the  mock  playfulness  of  despair." 

"  And  wonder  not,"  resumed  Vittorio,  "  that  she  should 
find  little  to  interest  in  this  world,  after  her  prospects  were 
thus  blighted.  She  has  seen  only,  or  chiefly,  the  worst  side 
of  human  nature.  She  has  reason  to  believe  in  the  universal 
reign  of  selfishness :  for  this,  society  and  her  own  kindred 
have  taught  her.  Her  passion  was  not  a  violent  one.  She 
sought  in  the  cloister,  not  so  much  a  refuge  from  disappointed 
affection  as  an  asylum  adapted  to  one  who  is  indifferent  to 
the  world  because  she  has  nothing  to  hope  from  it." 

"  The  more  shame  to  the  land  of  her  birth  !"  exclaimed 
Frazier,  "  since  there  was,  in  the  circle  of  her  experience,  no 
human  being  whose  example  inspired  her  with  an  ambition  to 
be  useful — no  one  of  her  sex  whose  character  and  domestic 
influence  suggested  the  idea  of  living  for  the  improvement  of 
others — no  instance  of  female  devotion  in  the  path  of  single 
life.  In  America,  thank  Heaven  !  there  is  scarcely  a  family 
where  there  is  not  a  genuine  sister  of  charity,  in  the  shape 
of  what  is  vulgarly  called  an  old  maid." 

Isabel  smiled,  and  said,  when  they  were  again  seated  in 
the  carriage,  "  There  is,  to  my  mind,  something  awful  in  the 
idea  of  so  young  and  gifted  a  woman  thus  incarcerating  her- 
self without  even  the  supporting  motive  of  devotional  enthu- 
siasm.    Her  blithe  manner  when  kneeling  in  that  cloistral 


\ 


104  SICILY. 

garb  was  more  touching  to  me  than  would  have  been  her 
tears.  It  spoke  of  a  light  estimation  of  life  and  its  blessings, 
a  want  of  perception  of  human  responsibility,  an  utter  insen- 
sibility to  that  spiritual  destiny  which  can  throw  over  the 
most  objectless  existence  an  infinite  interest,  and  a  superhu- 
man dignity.  Of  this  not  a  thought  seems  to  have  dawned 
upon  that  maiden's  mind." 

"  No,"  said  the  count,  "  she  has  gone  in  all  her  loveliness 
and  innocence  from  the  home  of  her  childhood.  She  has  left 
the  circle  her  presence  should  have  gladdened — the  kindred 
whose  happiness  should  have  been  hers.  Talents  of  untried 
power,  love  of  unfathomable  intensity,  will  be  palsied  by  a 
round  of  mechanical  rites  and  trivial  occupations.  Yet,  neg- 
ative and  blighting  as  I  feel  such  a  fate  to  be,  consider  how 
I  am  obliged  to  reproach  my  country,  when  I  say  that,  in  all 
probability,  her  life  as  a  Catholic  nun  will  be  infinitely  hap- 
pier than  that  of  a  Sicilian  wife." 


I^ittarin. 

The  spirit  culls 
Unfaded  amaranth,  when  wild  it  straya 
Through  the  old  garden-ground  of  boyish  days.  Keats. 

THE  site  of  the  Villa  Giulia,  or  public  garden  of  Palermo, 
with  the  exception  of  its  low  and  therefore  somewhat  hu- 
mid position,  is  singularly  felicitous.  It  is  separated,  in  its 
whole  length,  from  the  sea,  only  by  the  Marina,  and  as  there 
are  no  intervening  buildings,  the  whole  extent  of  the  bay  is 
open  to  the  eye  of  the  wanderer  through  its  verdant  pre- 
cincts. And  however  warm  may  be  the  season,  one  can 
scarcely  fail,  before  noon,  or  at  sunset,  to  discover  some  shady 
recess  which  is  freely  visited  by  the  breeze  from  the  water. 
Adjoining  this  favorite  retreat  is  the  Botanical  Garden,  whose 
lofty  palm-trees  rise  picturesquely  to  the  eye,  giving  an  as- 
pect of  oriental  beauty  to  that  portion  of  the  prospect.  It 
was  throuo'h  this*  enclosure  that,  durins;  the  late  sieire,  the 
troops  from  Naples  effected  their  approach  to  the  walls,  and 
the  rich  exotics  which  adorned  the  establishment  were  crushed 
beneath  the  ruthless  feet  of  the  soldiery.  The  more  public 
grounds  of  the  adjacent  garden  once  witnessed  a  still  more 
sacrilegious  scene.      During  the  sway  of  the  Inquisition,  a 

5* 


106  SICILY. 

priest  and  nun  were  burnt  alive  on  this  spot,  in  the  presence 
of  an  immense  assemblage,  for  having  declared  themselves 
favored  bj  miraculous  visions.  There  is  nothing  now  to  re- 
mind the  visitor  of  these  or  similar  events.  The  noble  en- 
trance of  the  Botanical  institution  conducts  him  into  a  circu- 
lar apartment,  classically  adorned,  whence  a  fine  vista  of  for- 
eign trees,  and  several  admirably  constructed  stuffos.  are  dis- 
coverable ;  and  the  utmost  neatness,  order,  and  beauty  grat- 
ify the  eye.  The  villa  is  somewhat  more  extensive,  and  is 
tastefully  laid  out  into  allej^s,  shaded  with  the  interwoven' 
branches  of  the  orange-trees,  and  diversified  with  parterres 
of  flowers,  statues,  and  fountains,  forming  one  of  those  quiet 
and  delightful  resorts  which  are  planted,  with  such  beautiful 
wisdom,  amid  the  dense  buildings  and  confined  thoroughfares 
of  European  cities.  For  several  hours  during  Sunday,  in 
the  spring  and  summer,  a  band,  stationed  about  the  centre 
of  the  garden,  enliven  the  throng  with  a  variety  of  airs  ;  and 
the  scene,  at  such  periods,  is  one  of  the  most  pleasant  ima- 
ginable, as  all  classes  of  citizens  are  seen  strolling  in  parties 
through  the  paths,  clustered  listlessly  about  the  fountains,  or 
conversing  in  groups  in  some  retired  nook  of  the  extensive 
grounds. 

It  was  during  one  of  their  promenades  in  this  favorite 
spot,  on  a  clear,  bright  morning,  that  Count  Vittorio  was  in- 
duced, at  the  earnest  wish  of  his  companions,  to  speak  of  his 
former  life.  The  garden  was  almost  solitary.  The  season 
and  the  spot  awakened  the  early  associations  of  the  count ; 
and  the  sight  of  a  rosy  little  child,  setting  »t  defiance  the  en- 
treaties and  threats  of  his  nurse  as  he  shouted  and  gambolled 
along  the  walks,  carried  him  back  to  the  well-remembered 
days  when  he  had  sported  in  that  very  garden  under  similar 
surveillance.  Yielding  to  the  impulse  of  awakened  memory, 
he  imparted  to  his  attentive  and  deeply  interested  friends  a 


VITTORTO.  107 

sketch  of  his  experience,  in  that  spirit  of  confidence  and  free- 
dom which  the  breath  of  Nature  and  the  spell  of  congenial 
companionship  naturally  awakens: — 

'•  The  memory  of  my  earliest  years  confirms  the  general 
idea  that  the  first  epoch  in  life,  however  distinguished  by  ex- 
uberance of  feeling  and  earnest  curiosity,  is  not  necessarily 
the  period  when  the  leading  traits  of  character  are  manifested, 
or  its  highest  principles  formed.  I  remember  my  early  boy- 
hood as  a  period  of  intense  pleasure,  and  frequent  though  not 
lasting  disappointment.  Every  object  and  agency  which  ap- 
pealed to  natural  sentiment  found  an  instant  response  in  my 
heart.  For  several  years  my  daily  pastime  consisted  in  gaz- 
ing from  the  balcony  of  our  palace,  which  overlooked  the 
principal  street.  The  narrow  bounds  of  this  little  gallery 
constituted  the  sanctum  of  my  childhood.  I  ran  to  and  fro 
over  its  tiled  floor,  and  peeped  through  the  iron-wrought  bal- 
ustrj^de,  while  my  mother  sat  at  her  embroidery  frame  near 
the  open  window,  watching  my  sports.  Here  dawned  upon 
my  young  mind  its  first  notions  of  the  world.  Hour  by  hour 
I  gazed  down  upon  the  passing  crowd,  and  to  the  silent  ob- 
servation of  those  childish  days  I  can  trace  many  of  the  opin- 
ions and  prejudices  of  after-years.  I  saw  a  moving  panorama 
of  human  life,  and  deeply  sank  its  lessons  into  my  mind. 
There  were  two  classes  of  men,  who,  even  at  that  hour,  were 
the  objects  of  my  dislike,  and  against  whom  there  grew  up  in 
my  breast  an  inveterate  antipathy,  which  after-experience, 
unhappily,  has  not  tended  to  remove.  These  were  soldiers 
and  priests.  The  former  I  detested  partly,  perhaps,  on  ac- 
count of  their  stern  manner,  but  chiefly  because  I  saw  them 
conducting  the  prisoners,  whose  fettered  limbs  and  miserable 
appearance  excited  my  pity.  The  latter  awakened  my  abhor- 
rence from  the  moment  that  I  was  the  witness  of  the  over- 
bearing demeanor  of  one  of  their  fraternity  who  visited  our 


108  SICILY. 

Bouse,  and  with  a  cold  pertinacity  wliicli  roused  my  impotent 
anger,  persisted  in  being  informed  of  every  detail  of  our  do- 
mestic affairs.  I  was  especially  annoyed  at  the  number  of 
these  two  classes  which  mingled  in  the  passing  crowd ;  and 
when  any  priestly  procession  or  regiment  of  soldiers  entered 
the  Toledo,  instead  of  remaining  at  my  post,  I  would  run  to 
the  very  extremity  of  the  saloon,  and  shut  my  ears  against 
the  sound  of  the  approaching  drum  or  the  rising  chant.  This 
conduct  surprised  my  mother,  and  she  endeavored,  but  with- 
out effect,  to  correct  these  prejudices,  particularly  that  against 
the  priests ;  for  being  herself  a  strict  Catholic,  she  considered 
the  feeling  I  manifested  toward  the  professed  ministers  of  the 
faith  as  fraught  with  danger.  Her  apprehensions,  however, 
were  much  lessened  by  the  pleasure  I  evinced  in  attending 
the  functions  on  feast  days  at  St.  Giuseppe.  She  knew  not 
that  it  was  the  grand  strain  of  the  organ  and  the  solemn  ar- 
chitecture which  charmed  me,  and  that  often  as  I  was  kneel- 
ing beside  her  on  the  marble  floor,  my  imagination,  awakened 
by  these  incentives,  was  wandering  in  wild  dreams  and  vague 
speculations,  while  my  lips  mechanically  repeated  the  words 
of  the  mass.  My  other  great  source  of  pleasure  was  listening 
to  the  singing  of  the  daughter  of  one  of  our  neighbors.  .  This 
lady,  like  most  of  the  Sicilians,  had  large  eyes  of  the  most 
brilliant  jet.  Her  voice  was  of  great  compass,  and  she  sang 
with  much  naivete  and  pathos.  She  was  very  partial  to  me, 
and  as  often  as  I  could  obtain  permission  to  visit  her  house, 
she  would  sing  my  favorite  airs,  and  bend  her  dark  eyes  in 
kindness  upon  me,  as  I  sat,  lost  in  delight,  upon  a  stool  at 
her  feet.  These  amusements,  with  occasional  pic-nic  excur- 
sions in  the  summer,  made  up  the  history  of  my  childhood. 
Simple  as  the  circle  of  this  experience  seems,  it  was  not  al- 
together inadequate  to  the  nature  to  which  it  ministered. 
My  affections— those  eternal  fountains,  in  whose  freshness, 


VITTORIO.  109 

purity,  and  freedom  the  happiness  of  humanity  is  most  deeply 
involved — were  gratified  and  cherished.  My  mind — that  in- 
telligent power,  in  the  expansion  and  culture  of  which  so 
much  of  human  progress  and  energy  consists — feasted  on  the 
glory  of  nature  and  the  variety  of  the  human  world.  Curi- 
osity was  not  then  satiated ;  the  sense  of  wonder  had  not  be- 
come palsied — feeling  was  vivid,  responsive,  and  earnest, 
glowing  with  the  intensity  of  its  celestial  origin.  When  first 
I  began  to  reason,  it  seemed  to  me  men  were  prone  to  exag- 
gerate the  happiness  of  childhood.  I  thought  it  so  glorious 
a  thing  to  inquire,  to  unroll  the  scroll  of  knowledge,  and  to 
see  everything  in  the  light  of  science.  The  illusion  was  tem- 
porary. I  soon  learned  that  the  less  of  the  spontaneous  there 
is  in  character,  the  less  also  is  there  of  interest ;  that  techni- 
cality can  petrify  truth,  and  that  the  sooner  the  rosy  glow  of 
life's  morning  fades  from  the  spirit's  domain,  the  faster  gath- 
ers over  it  the  chill  shadow  of  the  world  and  the  dim  atmos- 
phere of  Time. 

"  But  long  before  childhood  was  merged  in  youth  I  was 
called  to  trial.  My  mother  died.  Every  circumstance  of 
this  event  remains  impressed  upon  my  mind,  but  it  was  not 
until  years  after  its  occurrence  that  I  realized  its  consequen- 
ces. The  greatest  misfortune  that  can  happen  to  a  young 
man  is  such  a  bereavement.  Naught  can  recompense  him  for 
the  loss  of  a  mother.  A  father's  afiection  is  generally  more 
worldly.  It  is  too  often  graduated  by  the  degree  of  success 
with  which  his  son  may  meet  in  the  pursuit  of  wealth  or 
fame.  A  mother's  love  is  more  of  an  inborn  and  self-nour- 
ished sentiment.  I  know  we  have  recorded  signal  instances 
of  parental  ambition  in  woman ;  but  it  has  far  oftener  been 
my  lot  to  witness  the  manifestations  of  an  attachment  infi- 
nitely purer.  To  a  man  of  true  and  deep  sentiment  there  is 
no  greater  consolation,  in  the  whole  range  of  his  afi"ections 


no  SICILY. 

than  the  consciousness  that  there  is  one  being  who  loves  him 
for  his  own  sake ;  whose  devotion  the  changes  of  his  fortune 
will  not  infiuencej  and  to  whose  eye  the  fairest  laurels  cannot 
make  him  dearer ;  who  loves  him  individually,  and  regards 
the  circumstances,  the  wealth,  the  honors  that  environ  him, 
only  as  temporary  means  of  his  enjoyment — a  graceful  dra- 
pery, which,  if  the  rude  blast  of  misfortune  throws  it  off,  will 
but  make  her  clasp  him  closer  to  her  heart,  and  more  tenderly 
cherish  him  in  her  love.  But  it  was  only  by  slow  degrees 
that  the  extent  of  this  early  loss  came  home  to  my  mind ; 
and  its  memory  proved  one  of  the  most  subduing  and  chas- 
tening thoughts  which  visited  my  impetuous  youth.  Another 
of  its  good  effects  was  its  influence  upon  my  social  life.  I 
cultivated,  from  a  mere  boy,  such  female  society  as  was  cal- 
culated to  elevate  my  mind  and  call  forth  my  best  feelings. 
My  heart  has  never  been  suffered  to  indurate  from  the  ab- 
sence of  that  gentler  companionship,  without  the  influence 
of  which,  all  that  is  most  refined  in  man  would  be  superseded. 
There  has  ever  been  within  the  scope  of  my  acquaintance, 
some  fair  being  who  has  found  the  time  and  the  feeling,  amid 
more  binding  relations,  to  evince  a  soul-soothing  interest 
which  cheered  my  orphanage.  I  have  never  been  wholly 
motherless. 

"  My  father's  mind  was  now  entirely  devoted  to  political 
schemes.  He  was  an  ardent  republican,  and  for  many  years 
had  been  secretly  engaged  in  a  confederacy  to  secure  the  in- 
dependence of  Sicily.  And  when  the  dearest  of  his  domestic 
ties  was  severed,  all  the  energy  of  his  nature  was  concentrated 
upon  this  darling  purpose.  Although  I  was  but  a  child,  yet, 
from  my  reflective  turn,  my  father  reposed  a  confidence  in 
me  which  I  have  since  recalled  with  wonder.  I  was  his  sole 
companion  at  home  ;  and,  after  returning  from  the  conclave, 
he  would  sit  in  the  hall,  now  bereft  of  the  presence  which 


VITTORIO.  1 1 1 

hallowed  it  to  his  view,  and,  drawing  me  to  his  side,  half 
soliloquize  over  his  past  happiness  and  present  objects,  while 
I  looked  my  sj'mpathy,  and  caught,  perhaps,  more  of  the 
spirit  of  his  designs  than  he  could  have  imagined.  How 
vivid  is  the  retrospect  of  those  hours  !  I  can  see  before  me 
now  the  long  and  lofty  apartment,  its  ranges  of  sofas,  and 
gilded  cornices ;  the  brightly-painted  frescos  on  the  ceiling, 
the  table  covered  with  little  memorials  (the  deliglii  of  my 
childhood)  of  my  mother's  tasteful  handiwork,  the  alabaster 
vase  daily  filled  with  flowers ;  and,  in  the  shade  of  the  cur- 
tains, the  figure  of  my  fiither  in  his  sable  dress,  his  pale 
features  shaded  by  a  cap  of  black  velvet,  and  his  eye  resting 
musingly  and  mournfully  on  me,  as  he  unconsciously  poured 
forth  the  feelings  which  overcharged  his  breast.  To  the 
solemnizing  efi"ect  of  these  seasons  I  attribute  much  of  the 
thoughtfulness  which  distinguished  my  youth.  I  felt  myself 
marked  out  and  signalized  by  being  thus  made  the  cofifidant 
of  my  father.  The  sense  of  character  soon  dawned  upon  me. 
The  idea  of  responsibility  was  precociously  developed.  I 
began  early  to  think.  Though  mute  on  the  great  subject  of 
my  parent's  thought,  though  inadequate  to  comprehend  the 
extent  of  his  aim  and  the  importance  of  his  object,  yet  I  un- 
derstood distinctly,  I  felt  deeply,  that  my  country  was  de- 
pressed, subject  to  an  exterior  domination,  and  that  her  en- 
franchisement was  in  contemplation.  I  cannot  tell  you  how 
the  grandeur  of  this  design  delighted  my  young  fancy.  It 
was  the  subject  of  each  day's  musing  and  each  night's  dreams. 
The  very  vagueness  of  my  conceptions  increased  their  power. 
Often  have  I  left  the  servant  who  attended  me,  at  the  church 
of  St.  Kosalia,  and  climbed  to  the  telegraph  on  the  summit 
of  Mount  Pelegrino,  and  gazing  thence  over  the  lovely  valley 
of  Palermo,  and  seaward  to  the  Eolian  isles,  thought  of  the 
new  glor}^  which  would  illumine  the  scene  beneath  the  smile 


112  SICILY. 

of  Liberty.  True,  I  knew  not  clearly  the  nature  of  the  bless- 
ing ;  but  I  had  learned  to  think  that  in  its  train  all  others 
came,  and  I  understood  it  to  be  especially  inimical  to  soldiers 
and  priests — the  objects  of  my  boyish  detestation.  I  knew 
something,  too,  of  the  history  of  my  native  island,  and  images 
of  ancient  glory,  ill-defined,  but  glowing,  fed  the  flame  of  my 
enthusiasm.  It  was  June.  The  luxuriance  of  summer,  without 
its  scorching  heat,  breathed,  like  a  conscious  presence,  around 
the  dense  confines  of  the  city.  To  my  young  being  the  time 
was  full  of  inspiration ;  and  one  breezy  evening,  as  I  sat  on 
a  granite  bench  upon  yonder  terrace,  looking  on  the  gay 
groups  below,  and  feeling  the  exhilarating  breath  of  the  sea, 
I  followed  a  poetical  vein  which  I  had  often  indulged,  and 
wrote  upon  my  tablets  an  invocation  to  my  country.  These 
verses,  some  years  afterwards,  when  I  was  learning  your  lan- 
guage, I  translated,  and  repeat  them,  because  they  will  give 
you  a  good  idea  of  the  wild  wishes  of  that  hour. 

*  Gaze  around  o'er  your  country,  Sicilians  !  and  start 
From  the  impotent  sleep  of  degenerate  slaves ; 
Like  the  eagle,  long  poised,  now  trimuphantly  dart 
On  the  minions  that  trample  your  ancestors'  graves. 

'  Gaze  around  o'er  your  country  ! — the  crystal-blue  deep 
With  pearl-flashing  foam  wreaths  encircles  the  land, 
And  the  sentinel  hills  in  wild  majesty  sweep 
From  western  horizon  to  orient  strand. 

'  The  orange  groves  gleam  mid  the  dark  olive  bowers, 
Like  gold  drops  which  wood-nymphs  have  sportively  thrown  j 
Where  the  broad  thorny  cactus  and  aloe  strew  flowers, 
And  the  emerald  shafts  of  the  cypresses  moan. 

'  Gaze  around  o'er  your  country  ! — in  many  a  dale 
Some  beautiful  temple,  with  ivy  leaves  wreathed, 
Like  a  voice  from  Time's  dark  and  mysterious  vale, 
Proclaims  where  the  spirit  of  liberty  breathed. 


VITTORIO.  113 

'  Gaze  around  o'er  your  country ! — old  Etna  unfurls 
Her  wide  saffron  banner  alonj^  the  clear  sky  ; 
Or  from  her  white  summit  indignantly  hurls 
The  blaze  of  her  beacon-flame  lurid  and  high. 

'  And  often  the  streams  in  stern  solitude  gush 
From  thy  mountain-clouds  into  some  lofty  ravine, 
And  then,  like  an  army,  in  fierce  triumph  rush 
Through  rugged  defiles  and  o'er  valleys  serene. 

'  0  where  are  the  men  who  for  Sicily  fought 
With  warrior  zeal  in  the  van  of  each  war  1 
And  the  maidens  who  proudly  their  dark  tresses  wrought 
Into  bow-strings  to  drive  the  invaders  afar1* 


o^ 


'  Forth,  scions  of  pride  ! — your  high  titles  retrieve ; 
Forth,  sons  of  the  deep  !  leave  your  nets  on  the  shore ; 
Forth,  children  of  Ceres  !  your  corn  cease  to  weave — 
To  the  altars,  ye  women !  for  freedom  implore. 

•  From  ancient  Charybdis,  where  swift  eddies  play, 
From  Passaro's  beach,  where  tlie  green  waters  smile, 
To  the  proud  cliff  that  looms  o'er  Palermo's  bright  bay, 
Strike,  strike  for  Sicilia,  your  foe-stricken  isle  ! 

'  What  Nature's  fresh  glory  has  robed  to  allure, 
Let  Valor  redeem  and  let  Virtue  endear ; 
Rise,  Sicily,  rise  !  and  no  longer  endure 
The  base  hireling's  scoff  or  the  patriot's  tear.' 

"  The  secret  party  of  which  my  father  was  so  devoted  a 
member  were  doomed  to  disappointment,  from  a  cause  which 
has  often  occasioned  the  failure  of  popular  movements — pre- 
mature action  on  the  part  of  those  least  fitted  to  assume  the 
responsibility.  Among  the  many  ancient  traditions  relative 
to  this  island  is  that  which  asserts  that  it  once  formed  part 
of  the  mainland.     If  there  is  any  truth  in  this,  it  might  ap- 

*  It  is  an  historical  fact,  that  at  the  siege  of  Messina  the  women 
braided  their  hair  into  bow-strings,  for  the  use  of  the  archers. 


114  SICILY. 

pear  that  with  the  convulsion  of  Nature  which  divided  it 
from  the  continent,  sprang  up  a  similar  line  of  demarkation 
between  the  inhabitants  of  the  two  territories  ;  for  the  present 
cordial  hatred  existing  between  the  Sicilians  and  Neapolitans 
is  an  antipathy  inherited  from  the  earliest  time,  and  at  no 
period  have  the  inhabitants  of  Sicily  been  reconciled  to  the 
idea  of  forming  a  constituent  part  of  the  kingdom  of  Naples. 
If  any  other  motive  had  been  requisite  to  render  their  inde- 
pendence more  obviously  desirable,  it  was  furnished  by  the 
experience  they  had  of  the  English  constitution  during  the 
brief  continuance  of  the  British  domination.  In  the  summer 
of  1820,  the  popular  feeling  on  this  subject  reached  its  acme. 
At  the  feast  of  St.  Kosaiia,  while  mass  was  celebrating  at 
the  cathedral,  the  first  indication  of  an  approaching  tumult 
was  given  by  some  person  in  the  crowd  suddenly  and  repeat- 
edly exclaiming,  '  Liberty  and  the  Constitution  !'  In  the 
evening  three  soldiers  passed  through  the  streets  wearing  the 
badge  of  the  Carbonari.  The  commanding  officer  went  in 
person  to  arrest  them,  but  was  surrounded  by  the  people,  and 
narrowly  escaped  with  his  life.  The  next  day  the  populace 
forced  from  the  authorities  an  order  of  admittance  into  the 
arsenal,  and  there  supplied  themselves  with  arms.  This  suc- 
cess emboldened  them  beyond  measure.  A  Franciscan  friar, 
whom  intoxication  had  infuriated,  appeared  in  their,  midst, 
urging  them  on  to  sanguinary  effort  Their  latent  supersti- 
tion was  awakened.  They  looked  upon  tlie  long  beard  and 
sacred  habit  of  their  monkish  leader,  and  with  one  voice  de- 
clared him  to  be  Moses,  commissioned  by  Heaven  to  secure 
their  independence.  The  prison  was  thrown  open,  and  the 
city  echoed  with  the  noise  of  conflict.  For  several  days 
anarchy  reigned  in  Palermo.  The  rabble,  intoxicated  with 
their  temporary  triumphs,  gave  themselves  up  to  indiscrimi- 
nate rapine  and  butchery.     The  horrid  scenes  then  enacted, 


VITTORIO.  115 

the  license  and  brutality  which  prevailed,  indicated  the  utter 
unfitness  of  the  people  for  the  dignity  and  blessings  of  politi- 
cal freedom.  Slowly  but  surely  this  impression  gained  upon 
the  reluctant  mind  of  ray  father.  Still  he  exerted  himself  to 
•\irrest  the  newly-acquired  power  from  the  mob,  and  restore 
order  and  peace.  After  some  time  this  was  eflfected.  A  pro- 
vincial government  was  established,  and  for  a  few  months  the 
capital  of  Sicily  was  nominally  independent.  But  small  was 
the  satisfaction  which  this  lon2;-desired  condition  brouirht  to 
the  minds  of  the  intelligent  patriots.  They  could  effect  no 
unity  of  sentiment  or  action  between  the  different  parts  of 
the  island.  Messina,  mindful  of  her  long  rivalry  with  the 
metropolis,  refused  to  take  part  in  the  cause.  The  Neapoli- 
tan troops  stationed  themselves  near  the  walls,  and  after 
repeated  repulses  were  finally  admitted  within  the  gates.  A 
year  afterwards  the  inhabitants  were  prohibited  from  holding 
arms  without  a  license,  the  usual  enginery  of  despotism  was 
re-established,  and  the  leaders  of  the  struo-o-le  and  known  ad- 
vocates  of  liberal  principles  were  executed  or  banished.  The 
latter  was  my  father's  fate ;  and  as  the  mountains  of  our  na- 
tive island  faded  from  our  view,  the  last  hope  of  patriotic 
success  vanished  drearily  from  his  mind,  and  the  first  bright 
and  absorbing  dream  of  boyhood  melted  like  a  mist  from  my 
sanguine  heart. 

"  We  soon  repaired  to  England.  There,  when  habit  had 
somewhat  reconciled  me  to  the  reserve  of  northern  manners, 
and  practice  had  given  me  the  command  of  your  native 
tongue,  I  was  conscious  of  a  new  and  important  era  of  men- 
tal experience.  I  became  deeply  interested  in  the  study  of 
English  literature.  I  communed  with  the  master  spirits  of 
that  noble  lore,  enriching  my  mind  with  philosophical  truth, 
and  my  imagination  with  poetic  beauty  of  a  deeper  and  more 
elevating  character  than  the  prevailing  literature  of  the  South 


116  SICILY. 

had  afforded  me.  But  from  these  studies  I  gained  general 
ideas  rather  than  fixed  principles.  This  was  the  more  to  be 
regretted,  as  I  soon  arrived  at  one  of  those  gloomy  epochs 
of  life,  more  or  less  known  to  us  all,  where  '  of  necessity  the 
soul  must  be  its  own  support.'  My  father,  wearied  with  dis- 
appointment, and  rendered  restless  by  the  changes  which  had 
followed  in  such  rapid  succession  upon  his  declining  years, 
sunk  under  the  effects  of  a  fever,  and  grief  and  anxiety  would 
have  soon  laid  me  beside  him,  had  I  not  yielded  to  the  ur- 
gency of  friends,  and  changed  the  scene  and  climate.  I  se- 
lected Malta  for  the  place  of  my  destination,  chiefly  because 
of  its  contiguity  to  my  native  island.  I  little  thought,  in  the 
dejected  mood  in  which  I  embarked,  of  the  consolation  there 
awaiting  me.  So  happy  is  the  retrospect  of  my  visit,  not- 
withstanding it  occurred  at  one  of  the  saddest  periods  of  my 
life,  that  I  dwell  upon  every  circumstance  attending  it  with 
unabated  pleasure.  The  day  of  my  arrival  and  those  imme- 
diately succeeding  it,  are  thus  brightly  present  to  my  mem- 
ory, because  they  are  associated  with  one  of  the  most  blessed 
occasions  of  my  youth.  It  was  then  that  I  gained  one  of  the 
greatest  of  human  acquisitions,  a  sense  of  important  truths, 
in  the  light  of  which  the  darkness  and  doubt  which  overshad- 
owed my  spirit  were  suddenly  dissipated. 

"  The  sun  shone  clearly  as  we  neared  Malta.  The  warmth 
of  the  atmosphere,  the  deep  blue  tint  of  the  water,  and  the 
tones  in  which  we  were  greeted,  made  me  realize  that  I  had 
once  more  entered  the  precincts  of  Southern  Europe.  In 
the  distance,  more  like  a  pictorial  than  a  real  scene,  rose  the 
ancient  city.  Its  peculiar  hue,  the  long  line  of  massive  bat- 
tlements, and  the  darkly-wrought  domes,  chained  our  atten- 
tion. In  a  few  moments  we  were  at  anchor  in  the  quarantine 
harbor,  between  two  forts.  A  clump  of  verdure  relieved  the 
eye  as  it  rested  on  the  heavy  walls,  all  wearing  the  same  dim 


VTTTORIO.  117 

yellow  or  grayish  shade  ;  and  the  picturesque  figures  of  the 
Highland  regiment  gave  animation  to  the  scene.  The  view 
was  beautiful  after  the  moon  rose.  The  shadow  of  the  dark 
wall  on  the  calm  tide,  the  soothing  reflection  of  the  light,  the 
perfect  repose,  was  all  in  striking  contrast  to  the  scenes  of 
bloodshed,  and  the  sounds  of  death,  with  which  my  memory 
was  busy.  On  the  evening  of  the  next  day  we  received  per- 
mission to  go  round  the  grand  harbor.  As,  towed  by  fifteen 
boats,  we  slowly  proceeded,  at  sunset,  from  every  new  point 
the  city  spread  out  before  us — the  long  bastions  dotted  with 
moss,  at  whose  wave-washed  faundations  the  restless  tide  now 
moaned ;  above  them  dark  ranges  of  buildings,  and  around, 
various  craft  plying.  "We  entered  the  harbor  between  the 
memorable  castles  of  St.  Elmo  and  St.  Angelo,  and  were 
soon  moored  by  the  quay,  along  which  were  swarming  the 
motley  crowd  ever  to  be  seen  at  night-fall  in  such  a  place. 
It  was  not  until  the  succeeding  evening  that  we  obtained 
pratique.  As  I  walked  up  the  Nix-Mangare  stairs,  the  sup- 
plicating voices  of  the  beggars,  the  silent  sternness  of  the 
soldiery,  the  clanking  fetters  of  the  convicts  sweeping  the 
streets,  and  here  and  there  a  shrine,  carried  me  at  once  back 
to  my  home  and  the  days  of  childhood.  The  intervening 
space  of  time  seemed  annihilated.  Nor  was  this  feeling  les- 
sened on  entering  our  hotel,  which  had  been  a  knight's  palace. 
The  stone  floors,  painted  walls,  and  lofty  ceilings  were 
strangely  familiar.  A  new  sense  of  my  loneliness,  of  all  that 
I  had  lost  and  sufi"ered,  came  over  me.  I  felt  more  keenly 
than  ever  that  I  was  an  orphan  and  an  exile. 

"  My  companions,  without  understanding  the  nature  of 
my  melancholy,  strove  to  divert  it.  and  dragged  me  that  very 
evening  to  a  ball  given  by  the  officers  of  the  regiments  then 
quartered  in  the  island.  The  display  was  very  brilliant. 
At  the  entrance  of  the  hall  were  four  suits  of  ancient  armor, 


118  SICILY. 

arranged  at  the  corners  of  a  kind  of  military  tent ;  and  at 
the  head  of  the  ball-room  was  a  fine  staff  of  colors  surround- 
ing the  British  escutcheon.  The  scarlet  uniform  of  the  mil- 
itary, and  the  neat  blue  of  the  naval  officers,  the  calm  faces 
and  light  ringlets  of  the  English  damsels,  contrasting  with 
the  dark  hair  and  eyes  of  the  Maltese,  the  national  banners 
and  fresh  garlands  on  the  walls,  rendered  the  pageant  quite 
dazzling.  This  insignia  of  joy  into  which  I  had  suffered  my- 
self to  be  drawn,  instead  of  alleviating,  served  to  deepen  the 
gloom  which  oppressed  me.  Gladness  was  upon  every  face, 
and  I  asked  myself  whether  there  was  one  amid  the  multi- 
tude who  was  an  outcast  like  myself  As  the  idea  presented 
itself,  my  eye  fell  upon  a  countenance  which  seemed  almost 
to  answer  the  unuttered  inquiry.  It  was  that  of  a  man  be- 
yond the  prime  of  life,  whose  expression  would  have  denoted 
no  common  familiarity  with  sorrow,  were  it  not  for  a  certain 
tranquil  dignity  and  benign  spirit  which  softened  and  ele- 
vated its  aspect.  As  the  gaze  of  the  stranger  met  my  own, 
I  felt  that  instinctive  consciousness  of  sympathy  which  is  so 
impressive  yet  inexplicable.  I  watched  his  movements;  I 
followed  his  eye,  and  endeavored  to  image  his  thoughts,  till 
a  call  to  the  supper-room  interrupted  my  sight  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, after  which  I  discovered  that  he  had  left  the  assem- 
bly. My  pillow  was  haunted  by  that  thoughtful  and  kindly 
face.  Its  remembrance  comforted  me  as  if  I  had  read  there 
a  message  of  love.  I  could  not  account  for  these  vagaries ; 
and  on  the  following  morning  stole  away  from  my  compan- 
ions, and  went  forth  to  make  the  circuit  of  the  ramparts,  to 
see  what  effect  a  solitary  walk  would  have  in  dispelling  my 
gloomy  mood.  Upon  one  of  the  saluting  batteries  are  sev- 
eral monuments  tastefully  adorned  with  trees.  Here  is  a 
pleasant  promenade.  Below,  various  vessels  are  moored; 
far  away  to  the  left  is  the  wide  sea,  and  immediately  beneath, 


VITTORIO.  119 

the  dingy  houses  and  narrow  streets  of  the  town.  Alto- 
gether the  prospect  was  impressive  and  pleasing.  The  adja- 
cent memorials  of  the  dead,  the  refreshing  hue  of  the  shrub- 
bery, and  the  hum  of  busy  life,  with  the  ocean  stretching 
inimitably,  and  shadowed  only  by  a  passing  cloud  or  the 
wing  of  a  sea-bird,  combined  to  form  one  of  those  happily- 
blended  landscapes  which  embody,  in  mingled  and  striking 
symbols,  the  idea  of  nature  and  art,  of  ancient  times  and 
modern  characteristics,  of  man  and  his  Creator.  I  leaned 
over  the  parapet,  and  endeavored  to  catch  something  of  its 
calm  and  pleasantness.  But  it  came  not ;  and  I  applied  ear- 
nestly to  myself  the  words  of  the  poet : 

'  Alas !  I  have  nor  hope  nor  health, 
Nor  peace  within,  nor  calm  around, 

Nor  that  content  surpassing  wealth 
The  sage  in  meditation  found,' 

'•  As  if  to  bless  me  with  the  last  boon,  I  saw  ascending  to 
the  bastion  the  gentleman  whose  appearance  had  so  interested 
me  at  the  ball.  We  exchanged  salutations,  and  then  spoke 
of  the  prospects  before  us.  The  voice  and  manner  of  the 
stranger  were  singularly  winning.  By  degrees  our  acquain- 
tance advanced,  and  in  a  week  there  was  knit  between  us  a 
bond  of  sympathy  which  time  cannot  sever.  I  imparted  to 
my  friend  what  you  have  so  patiently  heard.  He  repaid  me 
by  unfolding  the  theory  of  his  faith,  which  has  been  my  con- 
solation from  that  hour.  Yet  his  historj'",  his  very  name,  is 
unknown  to  me  Our  interviews  took  place  during  our  daily 
promenades,  and  just  as  he  was  about  to  fulfil  his  promise, 
and  confide  his  own  experience  to  me.  the  vessel  in  which  he 
had  taken  passage  for  the  East  was  suddenly  ordered  to  sail, 
and  I  had  not  even  an  opportunity  of  bidding  him  farewell. 
The  following  day,  receiving  oilicial  permission  to  return  to 


120  SICILY. 

Sicily,  I  immediately  embarked,  and  arrived  here  an  altered 
being ;  for  those  characteristics  and  views  which  you  have 
so  often  wondered  should  appertain  to  a  native  of  these  re- 
gions, are  but  the  result  of  my  communion  with  that  stran- 
ger-friend." 


Bisrraion. 

The  only  true  liberal  subjects  of  conversation  aro  thoughts  and  actions  of  uni- 
rersal  interest.  De  Stall. 

IT  was  the  custom  of  the  little  party  whose  journejings  we 
have  followed,  to  pass  the  evenings  not  devoted  to  some 
engagement,  in  conversing  upon  the  experience  of  the  day. 
Not  unfrequently  the  ladies  of  Isabel's  acquaintance  insisted 
upon  her  society  in  a  morning's  ride  or  a  day's  excursion, 
and  the  gentlemen  were  left  to  seek  amusement  by  them- 
selves. They  atoned,  however,  for  these  occasional  interrup- 
tions to  their  mutual  intercourse,  by  relating,  on  meeting,  all 
that  had  interested  them,  or  was  likely  to  divert  their  gifted 
companion  from  the  sad  musings  into  which,  when  unexcited 
by  attractive  conversation,  she  would  almost  invariably  fall. 
One  evening,  however,  both  her  uncle  and  Vittorio  were  un- 
usually silent.  They  seemed  quite  thoughtful  and  abstracted, 
and  Isabel  herself  began  to  wonder  at  the  spiritless  mood 
which  had  overtaken  them  all ;  and  eagerly  inquired  what 
had  occupied  her  companions  since  breakfast. 

"  We  have  been,"  replied  her  uncle,  "  in  scenes  well  cal- 
culated to  awaken  thought ;  we  have  been  contemplating  the 
states  to  which  all  human  beings  ar.e  liable ;  we  have  been 
among  the  insane  and  the  dead," 

6 


122  SICILY. 

"  I  am,  perhaps,  to  blame,"  said  the  count,  "  for  having 
taken  your  uncle  to  two  such  places  in  one  day,  but  it  was 
quite  accidental.  We  first  went  to  the  Capuchin  Convent, 
and  descended  into  the  catacombs.  An  old  brother,  of  Por- 
tuguese origin,  who  speaks  a  little  English,  was  our  guide. 
He  seemed  pleased  with  the  opportunity  thus  afforded  for 
exercising  his  almost  forgotten  acquisition,  and  continually, 
as  we  threaded  these  sepulchral  chambers,  repeated  verse 
after  verse,  from  that  impressive  chapter  of  Ecclesiastes  de- 
scriptive of  the  vanity  of  life-  As  he  preceded  us,  with  his 
coarse  brown  robe  and  gray  beard  descending  over  his  breast, 
ever  and  anon  reciting  in  a  hollow  tone  these  memorable  pas- 
sages, so  appropriate  to  the  scene,  I  could  not  but  think  the 
guide  was  singularly  adapted  to  his  vocation.  The  long  wide 
galleries  of  this  extraordinary  sepulchre  are  crowded  with 
niches,  in  which  stand  the  frames  of  men,  dressed  in  their 
professional  garbs — the  priest  with  his  cassock,  the  friar  with 
his  hood ;  their  fleshless  eye-sockets  and  set  teeth  glaring,  as 
it  were,  upon  the  intruder  into  their  subterranean  halls.  The 
floor  is  covered  with  coffins  ;  the  sides  walled  with  skeletons ; 
everything  betokens  the  abode  of  the  dead,  and  the  light  of 
day,  and  echo  of  a  living  footstep,  seem  startlingly  unnatural. 
A  tinsel  crown  clasps  the  bare  skull  of  the  king  of  Tunis ; 
and  there  is  one  long  room  in  which  the  female  bodies  appear 
in  glass  cases,  like  those  in  which  the  Parisian  shopkeeper 
displays  his  valuables,  decked  out  in  gay  silks  and  tawdry 
ornaments,  in  horrible  contrast  with  the  mouldering  bones. 
Altogether  the  spectacle  is  one  of  the  most  singular  and  re- 
volting imaginable." 

"  The  scene  at  the  Insane  xlsylum,"  said  Frazier,  "  was 
more  satisfactory,  though  not  less  dispiriting.  The  evidences 
of  care  and  kindness  bestowed  upon  beings  who  in  less  civilized 
times  were  treated  as  outcasts,  is  trulv  deliirhtful.   The  Baron 


DISCUSSION.  123 

PisanI,  who  originated  and  now  superintends  the  establish- 
ment, attends  to  his  duty  with  an  intelligence  and  philanthro- 
py which  merits  imitation.  There  are  gardens  and  grottos, 
and  even  a  little  amphitheatre  to  amuse  the  inmates.  Frescos 
on  every  side  please  the  eye ;  fountains  murmur  to  soothe 
the  ear.  Work  is  provided  to  distract  the  attention  of  the 
insane  from  the  single  corroding  idea  in  which  their  malady 
so  often  consists ;  and  firmness  and  affection  seem  to  be  the 
ever-present  principles  by  which  the  wayward  creatures  are 
ruled  and  guided." 

"  It  is  the  boast  of  many  of  these  deranged  people,"  con- 
tinued the  count,  "  that  they  have  constructed  the  embellish- 
ments of  their  asylum.  There  is  a  little  song  in  vogue  among 
them,  declaring  that  it  is  not  they  that  are  mad,  but  the  un- 
happy toilers  for  this  world's  aims  who  are,  without  the  walls 
of  their  retreat.  Indeed  everything  is  done  to  banish  from 
their  minds  all  consciousness  of  their  desolate  state,  and  they 
cherish  an  affectionate  respect  for  the  baron,  the  manifesta- 
tions of  which  are  truly  beautiful.  Still,  no  arrangements, 
however  excellent,  can  obviate  the  painful  impression  of  such 
a  scene.  In  our  walk  round  the  institution,  we  beheld  every 
degree  and  variety  of  this  terrible  form  of  human  suffering. 
The  cries  of  the  frantic  echoed  from  their  gloomy  cells  ;  here 
sat  a  miserable  hypochondriac,  to  whose  eyes  God's  sunlight 
brings  no  gladness,  swaying  to  and  fro  his  attenuated  frame, 
bowed  down  with  unutterable  dejection  ;  there  walked,  in 
restless  misery,  a  priest,  upon  whose  pale  brow  brooded  the 
most  abject  despair.  Upon  a  bench,  in  a  lonely  corner, 
crouched  an  old  man  who  had  once  excelled  ir^  science,  and 
is  now  lingering  out  existence  in  speechless  woe.  There  was 
a  Greek  woman,  with  a  fine  open  countenance,  and  pleasant 
eye,  singing  to  herself  She  believes  that  a  superior  intelli- 
gence is  enamored  of  her  charms,  and  the  idea,  instead  of 


124  SICILY. 

flattering  her  vanity,  plays  upon  her  mind  as  a  most  undesira- 
ble and  inauspicious  circumstance.  An  old  artillery  captain, 
with  a  guitar,  was  reciting  with  much  gusto  some  passage 
from  Meli,  whose  especial  panegyrist  he  considers  himself. 
A  painter,  whom  disappointment  in  his  art  rendered  mad,  has 
now  nearly  recovered  the  tone  of  his  mind,  and  the  walls  of 
the  house  and  corridors  testify  to  his  industry  and  skill.  As 
one  wanders  amid  these  stricken  beings,  how  valueless  seem 
the  objects,  idolatry  to  which  are  such  prolific  causes  of  mad- 
ness— gain  and  ambition  !  Yet  before  these  perishable  shrines, 
men  prostrate  their  noblest  endowments,  and  lose  in  the 
whirlwind  of  passion  their  most  distinguishing  and  god-like 
attributes.  Some,  indeed,  have  become  insane  from  more 
touching  causes — blighted  affection,  wounded  honor,  bereaved 
friendship.  What  cause  for  gratitude  have  we,  while  we  can 
think  rationally,  while  the  light  of  reason  burns  clear,  and 
the  soul  possesses  herself  in  peace ;  while  the  harmony  of 
creation  steals  with  an  unbroken  cadence  upon  the  spirit,  and 
the  rays  of  truth  fall  full  and  brightly  over  the  heart ;  while 
the  blessings  of  existence  descend  gratefully  upon  the  path 
of  life,  and  the  darker  passes  of  experience  throw  over  it  only 
a  solemnizing  shadow,  and  not  an  impenetrable  gloom !" 

The  sound  of  bells  ringing  the  Ave  Maria  now  rose  to 
the  ears  of  the  coterie. 

'•  That  chime,"  said  Frazier,  "  rung  not  so  peacefully  over 
Palermo  some  centuries  back,  when  it  ushered  in  a  night  of 
the  most  horrible  massacre  recorded  in  history.  There  is  a  tra- 
dition, current  I  believe  among  the  islanders,  that  this  extermi- 
nating plot,  known  under  the  name  of  the  Sicilian  Vespers, 
was  brought  about  by  a  poor  fellow  who  had  suffered  greatly 
from  the  tyranny  of  the  French,  and  who,  pretending  to  be 
deaf,  made  the  tour  of  Sicily  on  foot,  whispering  in  every 
Sicilian  ear,  that  on  the  thirtieth  of  March,  at  this  hour,  all 


DISCUSSION.  125 

residents  were  to  be  put  to  death  who  could  not  pronounce 
the  word  ciceri  (vetches),  a  test  that  would  infallibly  betray 
a  Frenchmanj  however  well  versed  in  the  dialect  of  the 
country." 

"Whatever  foundation  this  story  may  have  in  truth," 
said  the  count,  "  the  better  informed  are  more  fond  of  priding 
themselves  upon  the  address  of  Giovanni  di  Procida'in  bring- 
ing about  that  sanguinary  event.  He  went  to  Constantino- 
ple, and  informed  the  emperor  that  it  was  the  intention  of 
Charles  of  Anjou  to  attack  that  city,  and  recommended  him 
to  furnish  funds  to  the  Sicilians  to  aid  their  proposed  revo- 
lution, which  would  divert  the  arms  of  Charles  from  him- 
self The  assistance  being  promised,  he  returned  to  Sicily, 
and  engaged  a  confederacy  of  noblemen  to  relinquish  the 
island  to  the  King  of  Arragon.  With  the  contract  in  his 
bosom,  he  then  repaired  to  Kome,  and  obtained  the  written 
sanction  of  the  pope.  Then  visiting  Peter  of  Arragon,  he 
easily  persuaded  him  to  proceed  with  a  fleet  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  await  the  rising  of  the  Sicilians,  to  seize  upon  the 
island.  Giovanni  then  returned  here,  and  completed  the  ar- 
rangement, which  terminated  in  the  Sicilian  Vespers.  This 
master-stroke  of  policy,  by  which  the  several  powers  were  so 
artfully  deceived,  and  the  cruel  Charles  overthrown,  has  ever 
been  highly  appreciated — for  cunning  is  a  weapon  of  the 
value  of  which  the  Sicilians  entertain  a  deep  sense.  The  ex- 
ploit of  this  diplomatist  has  formed  the  subject  of  several 
tragedies,  the  best  of  which  was  written  by  Niccolini  of 
Florence." 

"But  have  you  no  talented  authors?"  inquired  Isabel. 

"  Sicilian  literature  is  at  present  in  a  very  low  state.  The 
strict  censorship  exercised  over  the  press  is  alone  sufficient 
to  damp  the  ambition  of  those  best  fitted  to  do  honor  to  their 
country  through  its  medium.     Our  national  poet  is  Meli. 


126  SICILY. 

His  poems  are  of  a  pastoral  character,  descriptive  of  the 
beauties  of  the  country,  and  filled  with  the  most  accurate 
pictures  of  peasant  life.  To  one  who  understands  the  Sicilian 
dialect,  his  writings  abound  in  graphic  beauty.  He  paints 
altogether  from  nature,  and  has  fulfilled  to  the  scenery  and 
manners  of  Sicily  the  same  office  of  poetical,  jQt  true  inter- 
pretation* which  Burns  has  to  those  of  Scotland.  Many  of 
his  idyls  are  in  circulation  orally  among  the  common  people, 
and  all  classes  glory  in  his  fame.  There  are  many  mediocre 
writers,  but  the  generality  who  have  a  taste  for  intellectual 
pursuits  turn  their  attention  to  antiquarian  researches  or 
scientific  studies.  Some  have  contributed,  as  magazine  wri- 
ters and  historians,  minor  pieces  of  some  merit  to  the  meagre 
stock  of  Sicilian  literature.  These  are  written  in  Italian. 
But  it  is  useless  to  expect  great  literary  results  among  a 
people  so  situated  and  educated.  It  is  only  where  a  sphere 
is  open,  and  education  general,  that  the  foundation  may  be 
laid  and  the  motive  afforded  for  literary  development.  Men 
are  then  interested  in  the  mental  cultivation  of  their  chil- 
dren's minds ;  a  nation  of  readers  springs  up,  and  there  will 
be  writers  to  meet  their  wants." 

'•  And  it  is  not  only  thus  with  literature,"  said  Frazier ; 
"  the  low  estimation  in  which  integrity — that  key-stone  of  the 
social  arch — is  held,  may  be  traced  to  want  of  reverence  for 
those  primary  ties  which  form  the  basis  of  every  community. 
In  a  country  where  wine  and  oil,  fruits,  grain,  and  minerals, 
are  so  abundantly  produced — where  crops,  by  judicious  culti- 
vation, might  be  trebled — where  there  are  such  excellent  fa- 
cilities for  commerce  and  fisheries,  the  want  of  prosperity 
cannot  be  ascribed  to  the  absence  of  natural  advantages." 

"  No,"  replied  the  count,  "  the  existing  poverty  of  this 
beautiful  island,  which  Cicero  called  the  granary  of  Rome,  is 
chiefly  attributed  to  inherited  evils  of  government,  and  habits 


DISCUSSION.  127 

of  idleness,  and  vice,  a  disproportionate  nobility,  a  pampered 
priesthood,  and  an  utterly  unenlightened  lower  order.  One 
of  the  immediate  causes  of  the  reduced  circumstances  of  the 
higher  rank  of  Sicilians  is  the  change  made  about  twenty 
years  since  in  the  law  of  primogeniture.  The  property  which 
then  enabled  the  eldest  sou  to  live  in  splendor  is  now  dis- 
tributed among  all  the  children,  and  being  etill  farther  subdi- 
vided by  marriages,  reduces  the  fortunes  of  the  barons  to  a 
score  of  slender  patrimonies.  The  immense  tax  upon  landed 
property  is  another  drain  upon  their  resources.  The  earnings 
of  the  common  people  are  half  consumed  by  gambling.  The 
royal  lottery  is  constructed  on  such  a  scale  as  to  allow  the 
hazard  of  the  smallest  sums,  with  a  proportionate  prize  in 
prospect.  They  generally  select  numbers  from  the  intima- 
tion of  dreams." 

"  I  fancied  a  half-hour's  walk  the  other  morning,''  rejoined 
Frazier,  "afforded  me  a  tolerable  idea  of  the  state  of  things. 
A  delicate-looking  child  begged  a  bioch ;  I  was  passing  on, 
when  my  servant  urged  me  to  regard  the  petitioner ;  '  for, 
eccellenza,'  said  he,  '  it  is  the  son  of  a  marquis,  who  has  lost 
his  all  in  lawsuits.'  A  moment  after  we  encountered  a  pale, 
bright-eyed  boy,  going  to  school.  'What  do  you  study?'  I 
asked.     '  The  life  of  St.  Luigi,  signor.' 

'•  We  passed  through  a  market-place.  I  saw  people  of 
respectable  appearance  buying  everything  for  the  day's  use, 
even  to  the  charcoal  for  cooking  and  the  oil  for  the  night's 
burning.  I  never  knew  what  living  from  hand  to  mouth 
meant  before." 

They  were  interrupted  by  one  of  those  visits  to  which 
every  traveller  is  exposed.  An  agate  merchant  asked  leave 
to  display  his  rare  specimen.  A  Franciscan  monk  tendered 
some  fine  olives,  the  produce  of  his  convent-garden,  and 
begged  an  eleemosynary  remembrance ;  while  a  picture-dealer 


128  SICILY. 

brought  a  long  roll  of  certificates,  to  prove  that  the  Madonna 
he  offered  for  sale  was  a  genuine  Monrealease.  At  length 
the  several  claims  of  these  personages  were  considered,  and 
they  bowed  themselves  out  of  the  room,  after  bestowing  more 
titles  upon  the  kind-hearted  republican  than  in  his  whole  life 
he  had  been  honored  with  before. 

"  If  these  people  had  more  to  do,"  said  he,  "  they  would 
not  be  so  prodigal  of  their  compliments." 

"  Nay,  uncle,"  said  Isabel,  "there  is  certainly  a  kindliness 
in  their  greetings  which  might  well  be  adopted  by  our  more 
laconic  people.  I  knov/  that  the  blessing  they  invoke  when 
one  sneezes,  their  wishes  for  a  good  appetite  and  pleasant 
slumber,  their  excellenzas^  and  exaggerated  epithets  of  wel- 
come and  reverence,  are  often  subjects  of  ridicule,  but  in  a 
broad  view  are  they  not  gratifying  ?" 

"Yes,"  replied  the  count;  "  may  we  not  exclaim,  with 
Sterne,  '  Hail,  ye  small,  sweet  courtesies  of  life,  for  sweet  do 
you  make  the  road  of  it?'  I  think  we  may  justly  consider 
one  of  the  redeeming  traits  of  the  Sicilian  character — a  spon- 
taneous regard,  a  sentiment  of  attachment,  and  an  interest  in 
others,  the  very  semblance  of  which  is  cheering  to  the  heart. 
An  American,  in  judging  of  European  character,  should  bear 
in  mind  the  circumstances  of  his  own  country.  The  restless 
energies  of  a  young  nation  have  been  unfolding  around  him. 
He  has  been  encircled  by  the  machinery  of  an  advancing  civ- 
ilization. He  has  been  witnessing  the  phenomena  of  national 
growth.  He  has  lived  amid  the  excitement  of  constant  ex- 
periments. He  has  been  listening  to  the  warfare  of  un- 
shackled opinion.  The  spirit  of  society  around  him  has  been 
nicely  regulated  and  duly  restrained ;  social  intercourse 
checked  by  mutual  reserve ;  and  the  expression  of  feeling 
restricted  by  custom,  graduated  by  rule,  and  chilled  by  the 
influence  of  a  northern  clime,  as  well  as  a  calmer  national 


DISCUSSION  129 

temperament.  Here  he  is  environed  by  a  people  wedded  to 
the  customs  of  past  ages,  unfamiliar  with  many  of  the  im- 
provements of  the  day,  and,  in  some  of  the  arrangements  of 
life,  far  behind  the  age  in  which  they  live ;  where  time  is 
still  reckoned  b}'  the  primitive  method,  where  the  lottery 
courier  outstrips  the  post,  and  the  balcony  takes  the  place 
of  the  fireside  ;'  a  people  who  display  emotion  with  the  free- 
dom of  children,  who  observe  much  and  reflect  little,  who 
enter  with  childlike  eagerness  into  gaiety,  and,  at  every  age, 
court  the  pleasures  of  companionship  with  the  ardor  of  youth. 
And  who  shall  say  to  what  extent  these  diversities  are  at- 
tributable in  the  one  nation  to  freedom  and  prosperity, 
and  in  the  other  to  political  depression,  and  that  hopeless 
and  anti-progressive  state  into  which  the  prospects  of  in- 
dividuals are  thrown  by  a  long  series  of  despotic  influen- 
ces? Men  are  generally  thoughtful  as  they  have  responsi- 
bilities, and  energetic  in  proportion  to  their  hopes.  If  the 
quickness  of  apprehension  and  general  talents  of  the  Sicilians 
were  balanced  by  reflection,  and  cultivated  by  education,  they 
would  become  a  distinguished  people.  You  may  now  witness 
an  aptitude  for  intrigue  displayed  in  compassing  some  trivial 
end,  which,  if  properly  directed,  might  form  admirable  scien- 
tific professors,  or  diplomatic  characters.  They  understand 
a  foreigner  with  remarkable  readiness;  they  converse  with 
their  eyes  and*  expressive  gestures  with  astonishing  tact. 
They  are  sanguinary  under  the  influence  of  passion,  but  kind 
when  in  the  least  encouraired.  In  such  a  character  there  are 
elements  of  untried  force  and  progress." 

6* 


%u  fpisah. 


The  low,  the  deep,  the  pleading  tone 

With  which  he  told  another's  love, 

Interpreted  his  own.  Genevieve. 

COMMEND  me  to  travel  as  tLe  occasion  of  love.  The 
crowded  assembly  and  the  fashionable  promenade  are 
alike  inimical  to  that  free  expression  of  thought  and  natural 
flow  of  feeling,  through  which  alone  the  points  of  sympathy 
are  discoverable.  It  is  true,  that  in  these  scenes  the  first 
impression  is  often  made  which  eventuates  in  attachment ; 
but  amid  them  the  best  gifts  of  intellect,  and  the  finest  traits 
of  sentiment,  are  too  frequently  veiled  by  an  artificial  man- 
ner, or  concealed  beneath  the  many  external  graces  which  it 
is  the  office  of  fashion  to  call  forth.  When,  kowever,  we  feel 
ourselves  sejDarated  for  a  while  from  the  restraints  of  general 
society,  and  exposed  to  the  free  influence  of  nature  and  the 
incitement  of  variety,  we  resume  our. original,  native  spirit, 
and  think,  act,  and  feel  with  renewed  energ}''  and  truth.  Few 
situations,  therefore,  are  more  conducive  to  the  mutual  devel- 
opment of  character  than  that  of  two  companions  travelling 
together  through  scenes  of  interest  and  beauty.  Mingling 
their  admiration  in  view  of  each  novel  object,  suifering  the 


AN  EPISODE.  131 

same  inconveniences,  exposed  to  the  same  dangers,  and  for 
days  dependent  upon  each  other's  society  for  solace  and 
amusement — if  even  a  spark  of  congeniality  exist,  such  aus- 
picious circumstances  will  fan  it  to  a  flame.  The  recorded 
conversations  of  Isabel  and  the  count  have  been  of  a  general 
character.  Yet,  in  the  course  of  these  interviews,  glances 
and  tones  had  been  exchanged,  which  a  more  imaginative  ob- 
server than  Frazier  could  not  have  foiled  to  interpret  into 
indications  of  a  regard,  somewhat  deeper  and  more  perma- 
nent than  mere  intellectual  sympathy.  Still  no  direct  or 
positive  expression  had  been  given  to  the  sentiment  which 
had  insensibly  usurped  the  place  of  friendship.  Ilappy  in 
the  daily  interchange  of  mind  which  her  present  circumstan- 
ces permitted,  Isabel  thought  of  the  future  only  with  refer- 
ence to  her  father,  while  she  was  unconsciously  cherishing, 
or  rather  allowing  to  flourish  in  her  breast,  another  affection 
calculated  to  ennoble  or  embitter  her  whole  future  life.  But 
the  count,  whose  consciousness  was  not  dazzled  by  an  antici- 
pation such  as  filled  the  mental  vision  of  his  fair  companion, 
had  long  since  confessed  to  himself  that  she  had  in.«pired  an 
interest  too  earnest  to  be  easily  overcome,  and  too  delightful 
not  to  be  indulged  ;  and,  although  he  had  determined  to  post- 
pone, until  the  conclusion  of  their  pilgrimage,  any  declaration 
of  his  feelings,  they  were  ere  long  incidentally  elicited.  On 
a  warm  but  delightful  evening,  the  little  party  were  present 
at  a  co?iversazione,  at  one  of  the  most  beautiful  villas  in  the 
vicinity  of  Palermo.  Its  somewhat  elevated  position  ren- 
dered the  view  from  the  balconies  extensive  and  various, 
while  the  neighborhood  of  the  mountains  and  sea  exposed  it 
to  every  breeze  which  might  stir  the  quiet  atmosphere  of 
summer.  The  house  was  situated  at  some  distance  from  the 
road,  and  behind  it  a  spacious  garden  was  tastefully  laid  out. 
After  passing  several  hours  in  the  crowded  rooms,  Isabel 


132  SICILY. 

gladly  accepted  the  count's  invitation  to  repair  to  the  gar- 
den, where  many  of  the  guests  were  promenading.  They  fol- 
lowed a  path  shaded  by  the  embowering  branches  of  the 
orange-trees,  through  which  the  moonlight  fell  in  chequered 
lines  upon  the  walk.  At  its  extremity,  near  a  small  foun- 
tain, were  several  marble  benches.  As  they  approached,  Isa- 
bel ardently  expressed  her  delight  at  the  picturesque  charms 
of  the  retreat ;  and,  when  they  w-ere  seated,  the  count  related 
the  following  anecdote  : 

THE    SECOND    COURTSHIP. 

"  The  former  proprietor  of  this  villa  was  a  most  elegant 
and  interesting  man.  In  his  youth  he  had  passed  several 
years  in  Great  Britain,  and  returned  to  his  native  city  at  the 
period  when  the  English  had  possession  of  the  island.  As 
he  spoke  their  language  perfectly,  and  was  an  intelligent  and 
agreeable  companion,  there  was  no  Sicilian  more  frequently 
to  be  found  in  their  circles,  or  one  who  was  more  deservedly 
popular  among  them.  At  that  time  there  was  residing  in 
Palermo,  the  ward  of  an  English  officer,  committed  to  his 
care  by  her  father,  an  old  friend,  who  died  many  years  pre- 
vious in  England.  Caroline  Walter  was  not  only  beautiful, 
but  so  fascinating  in  her  manners,  that  she  was  the  object  of 
universal  admiration.  To  the  extreme  mortification  of  many 
of  her  countrymen,  she  received,  without  displeasure,  the 
marked  attentions  of  Palma,  the  inheritor  of  this  beautiful 
domain.  They  were,  in  truth,  admirably  fitted  for  each  other. 
His  chief  fault  was  an  impetuosity  of  feeling,  which  some- 
times urged  him  into  acts  of  foolish  .precipitancy ;  but  in 
mind  and  principle  he  was  infinitely  superior  to  the  general- 
ity of  his  countrymen,  and  it  was  the  virtues  of  Caroline 
Walter,  not  less  than  her  personal  graces,  which  had  won  his 


AN  EPISODE.  133 

heart.  You  are  aware  of  the  inveterate  prejudice  which  the 
English  entertain  towards  foreigners ;  and  you  must  have  per- 
ceived how  strongly  it  is  cherished  in  the  case  of  the  Sicil- 
ians. There  are,  indeed,  discrepancies  of  temperament  and 
character  between  the  two  people  to  account  for,  if  not  to 
justify,  some  degree  of  such  a  feeling ;  and  the  want  of  edu- 
cation, and  the  moral  degradation  too  prevalent  among  the 
inhabitants  of  this  island,  is  sufficient  to  explain  the  little 
favor  they  find  in  the  eyes  of  one  of  the  most  enlightened 
nations  of  the  earth.  But  this,  like  all  other  prejudices,  is 
too  indiscriminate,  and  therefore  unworthy  of  being  enter- 
tained by  any  liberal  or  philosophical  mind.  The  known 
virtues  of  Palma  did  not  weigh  with  the  friends  of  Caroline 
Walter.  She  was  assailed  on  every  side  and  in  every  man- 
ner, to  induce  her  to  renounce  her  lover,  because  he  was  a 
Sicilian,  but  in  vain.  She  could  not  appreciate  the  argu- 
ment ;  and  having  found  him  honorable,  gifted,  and  especially 
possessed  of  tastes  and  sentiments  accordant  with  her  own, 
she  hesitated  not  to  reciprocate  his  ardent  and  disinterested 
attachment.  After  their  marriage  they  were  for  a  short 
time  absent  upon  the  continent,  and  then  returned  hither, 
and  established  themselves  at  this  villa.  The  sight  of 
their  domestic  enjoyment  re-awakened  disappointment  in  the 
breasts  of  some  of  the  j^oung  English  officers — and  there 
were  two  of  them  especially,  who  resolved,  if  possible,  to 
disturb  the  happiness  which  they  had  not  the  magnanimity 
to  rejoice  in.  How  to  sow  the  seeds  of  discord  where  har- 
mony was  so  complete,  was  a  question  they  could  not  easily 
solve.  To  attempt  to  impair  the  confidence  of  the  wife  they 
knew  would  be  vain,  and,  moreover,  there  was  a  dignity  and 
independent  superiority  in  her  character  which  awed  them 
into  silent  respect.  Unfortunately,  they  were  aware  of  the 
weakness  of  Palma.  and  upon  this  they  determined  to  play. 


134  SICILY 

Industriously  circulating  reports  that  Lis  wife  repented  of 
lier  connection,  they  took  measures  that  not  a  day  should 
pass  but  some  insinuation  reached  his  ears,  calculated  to  ex- 
cite that  jealousy  which  belongs  to  the  Sicilian  temperament. 
For  a  long  time  these  rumors  affected  him  not.  He  knew 
the  propensity  of  his  countrymen  for  scandal ;  and  if  for  a 
moment  a  doubt  had  darkened  his  mind,  one  glimpse  at  the 
ingenuous  and  noble  countenance  of  his  lovely  wife,  or  a  sin- 
gle tone  of  her  sweet  welcome,  dispelled  it  in  a  moment. 
One  day,  however,  when  several  English  officers,  and  among 
them  the  two  hypocrites,  were  dining  here,  one  of  them,  after 
the  repast,  took  Palma  aside,  and  after  extorting  many  prom- 
ises of  secresy,  and  making  innumerable  professions  of  friend- 
ship, like  a  second  lago,  advised  him  to  watch  narrowly,  lest 
his  domestic  peace  was  invaded.  This  ambiguous  warning, 
conveyed  thus  solemnly,  alarmed  Palma.  He  returned 
thoughtfully  towards  the  house.  Caroline's  joyous  laugh 
reached  his  ear.  For  the  first  time  there  was  something  un- 
musical in  it.  He  raised  his  eyes  to  yonder  terrace,  and  saw 
her  promenading,  and  apparently  in  the  pleasantest  conversa- 
tion, with  the  accomplice  of  him  who  had  just  poisoned  his  ear, 
and  who  no  sooner  caught  a  glimpse  of  his  host  than  he  threw 
into  his  manner  as  great  an  air  of  confidence  and  familiarity 
as  possible.  This  little  incident,  though  of  no  importance 
in  itself,  served  to  irritate  Palma  into  a  fit  of  jealous  musing. 
Surmises,  as  baseless  as  air,  were  brooded  over  till  they 
grew  into  positive  doubts  beneath  the  fructifying  influence  of 
a  southern  imagination.  And  when  the  visitors  had  departed, 
in  a  moment  of  passion  he  appeared  before  his  astonished 
wife,  and  charging  her  with  having  deceived  and  lost  all  affec- 
tion for  him,  if,  indeed,  she  ever  had  any,  rushed  from  her 
presence,  drove  rapidly  to  town,  and  embarked  that  very  eve- 
ning in  a  steam-packet  for  Malta      Mount  Pelegrino  had  not 


AN  EPmODE.  135 

faded  from  his  sight  before  he  regretted  the  step  he  had 
taken.  His  self-reproaches  were  increased  to  agony,  when  an 
acquaintance,  one  of  his  fellow-passengers,  after  warmly  eulo- 
gizing his  wife,  began  to  praise  his  forbearance  towards  those 
who  endeavored  to  mar  his  happiness  in  order  to  gratify  their 
spleen.  All  at  once  he  saw  his  error,  and  mourned  over  his 
precipitancy.  In  three  days  he  returned  to  Palermo,  and 
sought  this  retreat,  where  his  injured  wife  was  secluded.  He 
longed  to  throw  himself  at  her  feet  and  demand  forgiveness ; 
but  so  great  was  his  mortification,  and  so  unpardonable,  in 
his  own  eyes,  seemed  his  conduct,  that  he  had  not  the  cour- 
age to  approach  her.  He  remembered  the  sad  look  of  silent 
yet  eloquent  reproach  with  which  she  had  gazed  upon  him  as 
he  left  her  presence.  He  recalled  the  pride  of  her  character, 
and  dreaded  the  effect  of  his  weak  and  violent  behavior.  He 
knew  not  but  her^  esteem  for  him  had  gone  forever.  In  this 
state  of  indecision  and  perplexity  he  remained  for  several 
days  in  the  neighborhood.  One  afternoon,  towards  dusk,  he 
approached  the  house,  and  saw  Caroline  seated  near  the  win- 
dow, but  as  he  drew  near  she  abruptly  left  the  spot.  He  be- 
lieved she  had  recognized,  and  thus  purposely  avoided  him. 
The  next  evening  he  again  approached.  She  was  in  the  same 
place,  and  half  rose  as  he  drew  near,  but  perceiving  him  pass 
the  door,  she  remained,  and  formally  returned  his  proffered 
recognition.  His  impression  then  was  that  she  thought  him 
insane.  In  short,  I  cannot  tell  you  by  what  gradual  steps 
he  progressed  towards  a  reconciliation.  No  lover,  for  the 
first  time  delicately  shaping  his  way  to  the  heart  of  his  mis- 
tress, could  have  acted  more  timidly,  or  been  more  trem- 
blingly alive  to  every  faint  indication  of  success.  It  was, 
in  truth,  a  second  courtship.  At  last,  one  lovely  evening, 
such  as  this,  he  threw  off  the  cloak  which  had  hitherto  con- 
cealed him  from  observation,  and  entering  that  grove  just 


136  SICILY 

opposite  his  wife's  balcony,  began  to  sing  several  of  her  favor- 
ite airs  in  a  feigned  voice.  There  lived  in  the  neighborhood 
an  old  blind  man,  who  had  frequently  amused  them  in  this 
manner,  and  he  knew  she  would  come  to  the  terrace  to  throw 
him  the  customary  gratuity.  After  a  short  time,  he  heard 
the  window  open,  and  saw  her  step  forth  into  the  moonlight. 
It  was  the  first  time  he  had  seen  her  distinctly  since  their 
separation.  She  was  paler  than  usual,  and  a  sad  expression 
mellowed  into  pensive  beauty  the  spirited  loveliness  of  her 
countenance.  She  leaned  over  the  rail,  and  seemed  about  to 
call  the  unseen  vocalist,  when  he,  anticipating  her  purpose, 
slightly  softening  his  voice,  commenced  an  Italian  air  which 
they  had  often  sang  together.  The  half-uttered  word  died 
on  her  lips,  she  stood  still  and  listened,  and  presently,  as  if 
overcome  by  the  associations  thus  awakened,  the  tears  fell 
thick  and  fast  from  her  eyes.  The  repentant  husband  saw 
that  the  favorable  moment  had  arrived.  He  suddenly  paused, 
and  struck  at  once,  with  his  natural  voice,  into  a  little  Eng- 
lish song  of  his  own  composition,  with  which  he  had  serena- 
ded her  on  the  night  when  they  first  exchanged  vows  of  eter- 
nal  fidelity.  At  the  first  tone  of  that  well-known  voice  she 
started,  and  turned  towards  the  open  window ;  but  as  the 
feeling  notes  rolled  on,  she  paused,  as  if  entranced,  and,  as 
the  last  stanza  was  concluded,  he  sprang  from  his  conceal- 
ment, and  was  on  the  terrace  and  at  her  feet  in  a  moment. 
He  was  forgiven ;  and  the  stream  of  aff'ection,  thus  tempora- 
rily divided,  re-united  with  new-  force  and  a  more  gladsome 
murmur,  and  flows  on  in  rich  and  fertilizing  beauty  to  this 
hour." 

When  the  count  had  related  this  story,  Isabel  begged  to 
hear  the  song  which  had  been  the  occasion  of  so  happy  a  re- 
union. The  scattered  guests  had  left  the  walks  to  attend  a 
summons  to  the  refreshment  room.     The  music  from  the 


AN  EPISODE.  137 

saloon  stole  with  a  softened  cadence  through  the  trees ;  and 
occasionally  the  laugh  of  some  light-hearted  being  near  one 
of  the  windows  reached  their  ears  ;  but  otherwise  the  garden 
was  so  quiet,  that  the  silvery  dripping  of  the  fountain  sounded 
clearly  in  the  pauses  of  their  conversation.  Isabel,  in  her 
white  dress,  and  with  her  luxuriant  hair  arranged  with  beau- 
tiful simplicity,  and  her  expressive  features  radiating  the 
quiet  happiness  which  the  scene  inspired,  had  never  appeared 
more  lovely  in  the  eyes  of  Yittorio ;  and  he  threw  into  his 
voice  an  expression  of  earnestness,  eloquently  indicative  of 
the  secret  emotions  he  cherished. 

THE  SONG  OF  THE  FOREIGN  LOVER. 

"  Yes,  'tis  true  thine  eyes  are  azure, 

And  thy  brow  is  pale  and  high  ; 
And  'tis  true  thy  golden  tresses 

Bespeak  a  northern  sky, 
I  know  thy  kindred  live  afar, 

Where  the  ancestral  tree 
Waves  greenly  o'er  their  dwelling, 

Beyond  the  sparkling  sea. 

"  Yet  if  a  darker  orb  replies 
Most  earnestly  to  thine, 
And  ebon  locks  bow  truthfully 

Before  thy  beauty's  shrine ; 
And  if  the  accents  of  the  South 
Breathe  love's  sincerest  tone. 
Why  wilt  thou  still  remember 
This  land  is  not  thy  own  1 

"  Are  not  the  kindred  of  the  heart 

More  blest  than  ties  of  birth  1 
And  the  spot  affection  brightens 

Dearer  than  native  earth  1 
Love,  lady,  hallows  every  clime 

To  which  his  children  roam, 
And  with  him  for  a  household  god, 

All  places  will  be  home." 


138  SICILY. 

Shelley  has  somewhere  compared  the  effect  of  an  impas- 
sioned sentiment  to  '•  the  voice  of  one  beloved  singing  to  you 
alone."  He  understood  the  poetry  of  the  heart.  The  scene 
and  its  associations  entirely  overcame  the  previous  resolu- 
tions of  Vittorio,  and  when  Isabel  quietly  thanked  him,  and 
rose  to  return  to  the  house,  he  gave  earnest  expression  to  his 
attachment.  That  hour  was  like  an  age  in  the  history  of  her 
feelings.  But  she  replied  by  calmly  alluding  to  the  object 
of  her  pilgrimage,  and  declared,  that  until  that  was  accom- 
plished, she  could  not  listen  to  a  word  on  the  subject.  Yet 
her  manner,  her  look,  was  enough  to  satisfy  Vittorio,  and 
when  he  rejoined  the  conversazione^  it  was  with  the  delightful 
conviction  of  possessing  her  affections. 


€^t  ^M  nni  3|irrsBut. 


It  is  the  past 
Contending  with  the  present ;  and,  by  turns, 
Each  has  the  mastery.  Rogers. 

FEW  evidences  of  decay  arc  more  striking  than  those 
which  mark  the  estates  and  arrangements  of  an  impover- 
ished nobility.  A  ruin  that  speaks  of  a  bygone  people,  how- 
ever it  may  awaken  reflection,  calls  for  little  exertion  or 
sympathy.  Those  to  whose  pride  or  comfort  it  originally 
ministered  have  long  since  departed.  There  is  no  lone  mem- 
ber of  the  race  to  sigh  over  the  ashes  of  past  magnificence 
The  material  fabric  has  survived  its  founder,  and,  in  its  ivy- 
buried  ruins,  serves  but  to  remind  us  of  antiquity.  It  is 
otherwise  with  the  memorials  of  less  ancient  times.  TVe  can- 
not see  the  descendant  of  a  once  wealthy  nobility,  lingering 
about  the  time-worn  and  poverty-stricken  home  of  his  fathers, 
without  a  keen  sense  of  the  vanity  of  human  grandeur.  We 
cannot  witness  the  vain  struggles  of  a  penniless  nobleman  to 
preserve  the  appearance  of  ancient  splendor,  without  realizing 
the  changeful  moods  of  fortune.  And  when  somethins;  of 
high  and  chivalrous  sentiment  ennobles  the  unfortunate  in- 
heritor of  a  title,  without  the  means  of  supporting  its  dignity, 


140  SICILY. 

our  compassion  is  instinctively  awakened.  We  feel  something 
of  that  pity  which  the  tale  of  young  Ravenswood's  bitter 
reveries  in  the  deserted  mansion  of  his  ancestors  excites  in 
the  breast.  There  is  a  strong  appeal  to  our  feelings  in  the 
sight  of  one,  who,  with  the  ambition,  has  outlived  the  glory 
of  his  house.  Although  the  aggravation  of  elevated  feelings 
may  not  often  increase  the  mortification  of  the  poor  nobility 
of  the  island,  yet  many  evidences  of  their  fallen  lot  are  ob- 
servable in  Sicily.  As  the  stranger  threads  the  crowded 
thoroughfares  of  Palermo,  he  continually  sees  the  high  fronts 
of  palaces,  blackened  by  age.  Iron-wrought  balconies  pro- 
trude from  the  spacious  windows,  and  tufts  of  weed  or  lines 
of  mould  indicate  the  ravages  of  neglect.  Some  of  these  ex- 
tensive buildings  are  tenanted  by  a  score  of  families,  who  oc- 
cupy the  difiierent  ranges  of  apartments,  while  others  are  still 
inhabited  by  the  descendants  of  the  original  proprietors  ;  but 
very  few  are  able  to  preserve  a  style  of  living  corresponding 
with  the  grandeur  of  their  dwellings.  More  frequently,  upon 
entering  these  palaces,  the  visitor  will  pass  through  long  suits 
of  lofty  rooms,  with  richly-painted  walls  and  brightly-tiled 
floors — cold,  bare,  and  deserted.  In  some  distant  chamber, 
perchance,  he  will  find  the  occupant  seated  in  a  massive  old 
chair,  a  deer-skin  beneath  his  feet,  and  his  snuff-box  in  hand, 
pondering  upon  the  changes  of  some  proposed  game  at  hazard, 
or  the  best  manner  of  once  more  evading  some  long-deferred 
obligation.  It  would  rouse  the  very  hearts  of  the  old  nobility 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  some  of  their  proud  abodes,  and  see 
halls  adorned  with  the  richest  frescos  and  marbles,  tenanted 
by  the  most  plebeian  citizens,  converted  into  magazines  for 
foreign  merchants,  or  consigned  to  the  destructive  hand  of 
abandonment  and  decay. 

Not  only  within  the  city  did  these  objects  afford  occasion 
to  Frazier  for  grave  reflections  on  the  utility  of  republicanism, 


THE  PAST  AND  PRESENT.  HI 

and  incite  Isabel's  fancy  to  picture  the  past.  Bagaria,  in  the 
environs,  was  a  favorite  resort  of  the  wealthy  Palermitans,  in 
the  season  when  the  country  is  most  inviting.  The  road 
thither  lies  along  the  sea,  over  a  fertile  plain  thickly  studded 
with  olive  and  cypress  trees,  amid  which  the  pleasant  seats 
are  finely  located.  Some  of  the  rich  worthies  who  were  wont 
to  retire  to  this  delightful  spot,  must  have  been  endowed  with 
whimsical  taste,  if  we  may  judge  by  the  ornaments  of  their 
estates.  One  especially  amused  Isabel,  and  provoked  the 
anger  of  Frazier  at  what  he  pleased  to  term  the  ridiculous 
extravagance  of  the  proprietor.  Around  the  roofs  of  the 
offices,  and  wherever  an  opportunity  occurs  on  the  main 
building,  are  figures  carved  in  stone,  of  every  imaginable 
form — monsters,  deformed  beasts,  and  grotesque  men.  Within 
the  palace  is  a  room,  the  walls  of  which  are  wrought,  in  glass 
of  different  hues,  into  various  devices,  while  the  ceiling  is 
composed  of  mirrors.  Although  much  of  this  fantastic  work 
is  dimmed  and  mutilated,  the  effect,  when  the  apartment  is 
illuminated,  must  be  curious  and  brilliant.  An  adjoining  and 
more  spacious  saloon,  walled  and  floored  with  the  finest  mar- 
ble, is,  however,  more  worthy  of  admiration.  The  clear,  fresh 
hues  of  this  princely  material,  from  which,  at  intervals,  start 
forth  the  statues  and  basso-relievos  which  vary  its  surface, 
and  the  brightly-polished  floors,  combine  to  convey  an  im- 
pression of  strength,  richness,  and  splendor  much  more  pleas- 
ing than  the  gaudy  and  peculiar  chamber  adjacent.  The 
furniture  of  many  of  the  rooms  in  these  decayed  palaces  re- 
mains very  much  as  the  more  prosperous  occupant  left  it ; 
and,  wearied  with  their  wanderings  through  the  cold  halls, 
the  visitors  were  glad  to.  rest  in  the  antiquely-embroidered 
chairs. 

"  Look  around  upon  these  ancient  portraits,"  said  Vittorio. 
"  How  little  thought  the  proud  noble  who  had  his  paternal 


142  SICILY. 

walls  thus  decorated,  that  they  would,  in  a  few  short  years, 
become  the  gaze  of  strangers.  This  fine-looking  old  gentle- 
man, and  that  lady  in  the  dress  of  olden  time,  have  doubtless 
often  breakfasted  in  this  very  apartment,  perhaps  at  that  little 
tortoise-shell  table.  I  delight  to  invoke  the  past,  and  the 
quiet  and  venerable  air  around  us  is  favorable  to  such  a  pas- 
time. Let  us  imagine  this  stately  couple  in  the  days  of  their 
pride.  Hither  they  came  on  the  first  summer  after  their 
bridal.  Nature  wore  an  aspect  of  unwonted  beauty,  for  she 
was  beheld  in  the  light  of  young  love.  Here,  perhaps,  the 
cheerful  morning  smiled  upon  their  sweet  councils,  as  the 
day's  pic-nic,  or  the  evening's  co?iversazione^  was  laughingly 
planned.  From  this  window  they  gazed  into  the  deepening 
twilight,  and  silently  imbibed  the  spell  of  that  hour  in  glad- 
ness of  spirit.  Yonder  hall,  perhaps,  witnessed  the  early 
triumphs  of  the  young  bride  in  the  circles  of  society.  There 
sped  the  dance  and  coursed  the  jest  till  early  dawn.  Years 
rolled  away,  and  the  saloon  which  had  beheld  the  rich  content 
of  afiection  echoed  to  the  restless  tread  of  ambition.  A  new 
epoch  of  life  had  arrived.  The  love  of  companionship  and 
pleasure  had  become  merged  in  a  thirst  for  power.  He  sought 
it  in  political  schemes ;  she,  in  the  petty  rivalries  of  her 
courtly  acquaintance.  Time  passed  on ;  and  at  length,  at 
the  accustomed  season,  one  only  came  hither,  and  in  mourn- 
ing weeds,  and  soon  returned  no  more.  The  paths  of  the 
once  neatly-kept  garden  are  grass-grown.  The  throng  of 
liveried  servants  have  dwindled  to  a  few  ill-clad  menials.  The 
chorus  of  the  banquet-song  has  long  since  died  away.  The 
ornamental  devices,  upon  which  so  much  pains  were  lavished, 
serve  only  to  amuse  the  curious  traveller ;  and  their  proud 
originator  is  forgotten.     Such  is  human  history  !" 

There  is  a  summer-house  attached  to  one  of  the  villas  at 
Bagaria,  fitted  up  in  imitation  of  a  convent.   The  figures,  dis- 


THE  PAST  AND  F  RE  SENT.  143 

posed  in  diflferent  cells,  are  not  ill-executed  in  wax.  Age, 
however,  has  diminished  their  life-like  hues.  The  order  rep- 
resented is  that  of  La  Trappe,  and  the  whole  is  intended  to 
memorialize  the  story  of  Adelaide  and  Commegio,  the  cloister 
lovers.  The  fondness  for  amusement  which,  at  an  earlier 
period,  dictated  these  fantasies,  still  lives  in  the  hearts  of  the 
Palermitans,  although  the  means  for  its  gratification  have  so 
much  diminished ;  and,  on  the  evening  of  the  day  that  our 
travellers  had  visited  this  scene  of  former  grandeur,  they 
found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the  festive  diversions, 
still  occasionally  indulged  in  by  the  restricted  nobles.  In 
observance  of  the  last  da}'  of  Carnival,  one  of  the  extensive 
rooms  of  the  Koyal  Theatre  was  illuminated,  and  crowded 
with  the  gay  attendants  on  a  Festa  di  Ballo.  Minor  apart- 
ments were  arranged  for  conversation  and  refreshments ; 
and,  after  the  opera,  the  theatre  itself  was  thrown  open  to 
the  dancers,  while  the  boxes  were  appropriated  to  those  who 
preferred  being  spectators :  and  here  entertainments  were 
richly  served  to  select  parties  of  friends.  One  can  scarcely 
fancy  a  more  gay  sight  than  the  wide  area  of  an  European 
theatre  converted  into  a  ball-room,  while  the  tiers  of  dress- 
boxes  present  the  lively  appearance  of  so  many  little  banquet- 
rooms.  The  most  novel  feature  of  the  scene,  however,  to 
Isabel,  was  the  fancy  costumes.  To  the  sound  of  martial 
music,  the  personators  of  various  characters  marched  in  pro- 
cession from  an  adjoining  chamber  into  the  saloon.  Then, 
as  they  divided  and  mingled  with  the  crowd,  the  rich  colors 
of  their  foreign  garbs  were  displayed  in  dazzling  relief;  and 
as  Isabel,  in  her  wanderings,  suddenly  encountered  the  ha- 
biliments of  some  personages  dear  to  memory,  she  caught 
momentarily  that  romantic  impression  which  these  amuse- 
ments, when  successfully  managed,  are  well  calculated  to 
convey.     But  the  illusion  was  too  often  dispelled  b}''  the 


144  SICILY, 

ludicrous  grouping  of  the  characters,  or  some  remark  of 
Vittorio,  whose  eye  pierced  the  velvet  doublet  and  the  em- 
broidered vest,  and  read  much  more  of  actual  character  than 
was  visible  to  the  strangers. 

"  That  tall  and  graceful  figure,  in  the  splendid  attire  of 
Queen  Elizabeth's  courtiers,  is  intended  for  the  Earl  of  Lei- 
cester. But  look  at  his  boyish  face  and  eye,  never  lighted 
by  any  fire  but  that  of  earth-born  passion,  and  picture,  if  you 
can,  such  an  expression  upon  the  lips  and  brow  of  the  gallant 
earl.  And  who  would  suppose  the  mincing  young  lady 
hanging  upon  his  arm  could  have  the  assurance  to  represent 
Amy  Robsart  ?" 

"  There,  however,"  said  Isabel,  '•  is  a  face  and  form  in 
keeping  with  the  costume.  Those  masses  of  light  hair  so 
gracefully  arranged,  that  pale  and  quiet,  though  lovely  face, 
the  sad  gentleness  of  the  expression,  the  subdued  movement, 
all  betoken  Parasina." 

They  joined  the  spectators,  surrounding  a  large  party  of 
waltzers.  The  combinations  were  not  a  little  amusing.  Here 
the  Sultan  Seyd,  with  his  wide  turban  and  dazzling  arms, 
was  whirling  round  a  Swiss  peasant  girl.  There  a  fat  Tartar, 
with  enormous  mustachios,  tripped  away  with  the  Bride  of 
Abydos.  A  young  Greek  girl  was  the  partner  of  a  Spanish 
cavalier,  with  black  hat  and  ebon  plume ;  and  a  Turk,  flash- 
ing with  jewels  and  brightly-dyed  merino,  gravely  twirled 
round  the  circle  a  smiling  maiden  in  deep  mourning. 

To  minds  utterly  unlearned  in  the  experience  of  the 
deeper  and  more  refined  sentiments,  there  is  a  strangeness 
altogether  inexplicable  in  the  impressions  of  an  idealist.  They 
cannot  comprehend  any  but  the  most  superficial  suggestions 
of  the  natural  or  human  world.  In  their  view,  there  is  a  de- 
gree of  singularity,  approaching  to  mental  disease,  in  the  idea 
of  a  young  person  finding  congenial  pleasure  in  observing 


THE  PAST  AND  PRESENT.  145 

such  a  scene  as  was  now  displayed  to  Isabel  in  the  mere  light 
of  fancy  and  reflection.  Yet  thus  did  it  present  itself  to  her 
eye.  She  thought  of  the  various  fortunes  of  the  seemingly 
joyous  multitude,  of  the  hidden  passions,  the  concealed  cares, 
the  petty  emulation,  and  the  secret  hopes,  lying  beneath  the 
sparkling  tide  of  festivity,  which  mortals  so  love  to  gather 
over  their  individual  conditions,  and  merge,  as  it  were,  in  one 
brilliant  illusion,  though  but  for  a  single  night,  the  corroding 
memories  and  present  troubles  which  darken  their  lot.  There 
is  rich  material  for  imagination  to  weave  into  golden  tissues, 
and  philosophy  to  color  with  the  light  and  shade  of  her  im- 
pressive pencil,  in  the  variety,  the  loveliness,  the  mannerism 
of  a  festival.  What  is  the  throb  of  pleasure  which  fills  the 
pulses  of  the  most  eager  partaker  in  the  hilarity,  to  the  calm 
delight  of  the  musing  spectator  of  the  pastime  ?  Lightly 
glides  the  fairy  form  through  the  mazes  of  the  dance ;  bril- 
liantly sparkles  the  jewel  in  the  waving  hair ;  but  more 
swiftly  speeds  the  thoughts  of  the  visionary,  and  brighter 
gleams  his  fancy's  glance,  as,  excited  by  the  symbols  of  hu- 
man joy,  it  roams  amid  the  labyrinths  of  destiny.  0,  there 
are  rare  gleanings  for  the  speculative  in  a  ball-room,  barren 
as  of  all  places  it  is  deemed  by  the  stoic  and  the  misanthrope  ! 
Poets  have  spoken  of  a  peculiar  inspiration  which  breathes 
from  the  Spring-awakened  life  of  Nature,  of  an  intoxicating 
pleasure  caught  from  the  hum  of  new-born  insects  and  open- 
ing vegetation.  So,  to  him  who  sympathizes  fervently  with 
his  race,  there  is  an  excitement  in  the  sight  of  a  gala,  a  social 
expression  of  enjoyment  beyond  mere  sympathy  in  the  gaiety 
of  which  it  is  the  type,  beyond  and  independent  of  it.  And 
if  a  stranger  be  thus  surrounded  by  a  festive  multitude,  his 
thoughts,  thrown  back  upon  himself,  do  but  engender  a  more 
sad,  but  perhaps  a  deeper  reverie.  He  recalls  the  spontaneous 
delight  of  childhood.      He  pictures  the   contrast   between 

7 


146  SICILY. 

present  appearances  and  actual  realities.  He  reads  in  the 
glowing  faces  around,  in  the  interchange  of  looks,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  manner,  many  a  tale  of  love,  hope,  and  disappoint- 
ment. And  in  this  there  is  poetry,  not  always  fanciful  and 
bright,  yet  still  poetry ;  and  Isabel  felt  it. 

"  Comer  from  the  new  world  !"  said  the  count  to  Frazier 
(playfully  yet  with  earnestness),  "  where  the  enervating  civi- 
lization of  Europe  has  not  yet  triumphed,  stand  with  me  in 
the  embrasure  of  this  window,  and  I  will  read  you  a  ball- 
room homily.  Fifty  years  since,  the  female  portion  of  the 
nobility  of  which  these  are  scions,  were  almost  entirely  un- 
educated in  aught  save  what  are  called  accomplishments. 
Many  could  neither  read  nor  write.  Now  in  some  respects 
there  is  an  improvement ;  in  others  a  decline.  Scarcely  one 
of  these  lovely  hypocrites  pretends  to  respect  her  marriage 

vows.   That  cjueenly  form  in  white  is  the  Duchess  of  A ; 

the  young  man  vivaciously  performing  a  lover's  part  beside 

her  is  the  Marquis ,  who  a  twelvemonth  since  married 

that  pale  dark-eyed  lady  who  is  coquetting  with  the  Duke  of 

A .     The  two  are  not  estranged,  for  they  never  had  a 

feeling  in  common,  except  the  desire  to  combine  their  in- 
comes by  marriage,  that  they  might  more  freely  follow  their 
respective  pleasures.     Saw  you  ever  such  a  magnificent  set 

of  diamonds  as  those  in  the  hair  of  the  Countess  of ? 

They  are  taken  out  of  pawn  for  the  occasion,  at  an  enormous 
expense.    There  is  not  a  more  gorgeous  costume  in  the  room 

than  that  Prince is  now  displaying.     Its  purchase  will 

cost  him  a  year's  support,  and  swell  the  long  list  of  his  debts. 
I  see  your  eye  wanders  to  that  thoughtful-looking  youth, 
standing  near  the  grave  ofl&cer.  They  are  fatlier  and  son. 
The  father  derives  his  support  solely  from  his  commission. 
The  latter,  at  the  university  of  Pisa,  where  he  was  educated, 
contracted  a  strong  friendship  with  some  young  Brazilians 


THE  PAST  AND  PRESENT.  147 

overflowing  with  the  love  of  liberty.  Their  views  were  en- 
thusiastically adopted  by  their  Sicilian  friend.  He  returned 
an  ardent  republican,  and  his  poor  father  is  in  continual  dread, 
lest,  by  some  unguarded  expression,  he  should  incur  the  dis- 
pleasure of  government,  and  lose  the  old  gentleman  his  office 
and  his  family  their  only  resource.  His  son  himself  fears  it, 
and  petitions  to  go  to  England,  where  he  may  enjoy  his  lib- 
eral principles  in  peace.  But  glance  over  the  whole  room. 
Of  all  these  young  men,  some  of  whom  wear  so  spirited  a 
bearing,  scarcely  one  knows  any  higher  ambition  than  the 
temporary  distinctions  which  an  occasion  like  this  can  gratify. 
Among  the  whole  circle  of  these  women,  you  can  with  diffi- 
culty find  one  deserving  of  the  office,  or  capable  of  the  duties 
of  a  mother.  And  what  better  can  you  expect  in  a  country 
where  the  legitimate  objects  of  reverence — parents  and  priests 
— set  an  undisguised  example  of  libertinism  ?  Is  not  the 
unavoidable  consequence  among  the  higher  ranks,  practical 
atheism?  Comer  from  the  new  world  !  look  through  the 
finery  around  you ;  pierce  the  artificial  gloss ;  read  the  evi- 
dences of  exhausted  resources,  unprincipled  lives,  and  frivo- 
lous pursuits,  which  make  up  the  true  history  of  society  here, 
and  thank  heaven  your  lot  was  cast  in  a  j^oung  republic." 

There  was  a  bitterness  in  the  count's  tones,  which  mel- 
lowed into  sadness  as  he  concluded,  that  touched  the  heart 
of  Frazier.  If  there  is  any  spectacle  at  once  noble  and  af- 
fecting, it  is  that  of  a  young  man  whose  moral  sensibility  is 
wounded  by  his  country's  decline,  who  stands  aloof  from  the 
general  corruption  of  manners,  and  mourns  over  it  as  he 
would  at  a  brother's  dereliction  ;  and  whose  love  of  truth  and 
allegiance  to  virtue  is  more  earnest  than  his  national  vanity. 
Frazier  felt  a  new  and  sincere  respect  for  Vittorio.  He  re- 
plied only  by  pressing  his  hand,  and  then  stood  lost  in  a  rev- 
erie which  the  conversation  had  awakened.     "When  he  roused 


148  SICILY. 

himself  and  turned  to  seek  his  friend,  he  was  no  longer  be- 
side him.  A  few  moments  passed  in  threading  the  dense 
crowd,  brought  him  again  in  view.  He  was  sitting  on  an 
ottoman  in  the  adjoining  apartment,  every  expression  of  pain- 
ful thought  banished  from  his  fine  countenance,  eagerly  listen- 
ing to  the  words  of  Isabel.  What  a  consoler  is  woman  !  No 
charm  but  her  presence  can  so  win  man  from  his  sorrow, 
make  placid  the  knit  brow,  and  wreathe  the  stern  lip  into  a 
smile.  The  soldier  becomes  a  lightsome  boy  at  her  feet ;  the 
anxious  statesman  smiles  himself  back  to  free-hearted  youth 
beside  her ;  and  the  still  and  shaded  countenance  of  care 
brightens  beneath  her  influence,  as  the  closed  flower  blooms 
in  the  sunshine. 


$t^nk  unit  iBlintintiGm. 


Thy  fanes,  thy  temples,  to  thy  surface  bow, 
Commingling  slowly  with  heroic  earth, 
Broke  by  the  share  of  every  rustic  plough ; 
So  perish  monuments  of  mortal  birth, 
So  perish  all  in  turn,  save  well-recorded  worth. 

Childk  Harold. 

THE  rainy  season,  after  several  fallacious  intermissions,  at 
last  terminated.  Its  long  days  of  cliilly  winds  and  heavy 
sbowers,  gloomy  skies  and  damp  atmosphere,  more  oppressive 
to  the  absentee  than  the  clear  and  exhilarating,  though  in- 
tensely cold  air  of  more  northern  winters,  gave  way,  all  at 
once,  to  the  genial  breezes  and  burning  sun  of  a  Sicilian 
spring.  Anxiously  had  Isabel  awaited  these  indications  of 
settled  and  auspicious  weather,  and  no  sooner  did  they  appear 
than  she  urged  upon  her  companions  the  expediency  of  im- 
mediately starting  on  an  excursion  into  the  interior,  which 
they  had  previously  planned.  Not  without  difficulty  had  she 
persuaded  her  uncle  to  allow  her  to  be  the  companion  of  his 
visit  to  the  celebrated  antiquities  in  the  adjoining  provinces. 
He  knew  that  most  of  the  journey  was  only  to  be  performed 
on  horseback,  and  that  much  discomfort  must  be  endured  in 
order  to  reach  the  desirable  objects  in  view.     But  Isabel 


150  SICILY. 

urged  the  short  period  requisite  for  the  expedition,  her  great 
desire  to  behold  these  trophies  of  antiquity,  and  that  uncon- 
querable spirit  of  enterprise  and  endurance  which  she  had  in- 
herited from  her  father.  These  arguments  were  not  without 
their  influence  upon  Frazier's  mind,  but  another  considera- 
tion tended  still  more  to  win  from  him  a,  reluctant  consent. 
He  saw  that  Isabel  needed  the  excitement  of  change.  He 
remarked,  during  the  many  weeks  of  rain  which  had  followed 
the  first  bright  month  of  their  sojourn  in  Palermo,  that  her 
thoughts,  thrown  inward  by  the  outer  gloom,  which  often 
made  her  an  unwilling  prisoner  at  home,  dwelt  more  ear- 
nestly, and  with  less  of  hope,  upon  the  idea  that  had  drawn 
her  abroad.  Her  cheek  had  paled ;  her  eye  was  less  cheer- 
ful ;  and  the  tones  of  her  gentle  voice,  never  trained  to  aught 
but  the  ingenuous  responses  of  the  spirit,  broke  forth  in  a 
less  buoyant  and  heart-stirring  music  than  was  their  wont. 
He  knew  that  a  few  days  of  free  communion  with  Nature,  a 
short  interval  of  novel  observation,  and  even  the  brief  court- 
ing of  fatigue  and  inconvenience,  would  do  much  to  divert 
and  relieve  her  melancholy.  Provided,  therefore,  with  means 
and  appliances  almost  equal  to  those  with  which  caravans 
enter  the  precincts  of  some  desert  region,  they  prepared  for 
a  short  visit  to  the  interior  of  Sicily.  To  Isabel  the  change 
of  scene  was  delightful.  0,  thou  enlivener  of  our  faculties 
stupefied  by  the  monotonous  circuit  of  still  life — thou  reviver 
of  slumbering  feelings — thou  awakener  of  thought — thou 
restless  spirit  of  travel !  how  much  dost  thou  lead  us  volun- 
tarily to  suifer,  how  many  pleasant  blessings  to  sacrifice,  how 
many  penances  to  inflict  freely  upon  ourselves !  Urged  by 
thee,  we  dare  the  perils  of  the  sea,  and  go  from  the  serene 
safety  of  home  to  the  hazardous  highway  of  the  world.  We 
abjure  the  families,  the  well-tried,  and  the  well-known,  the 
attached  friends,  the  accustomed  scenes,  and  the  cherishing 


SEGESTA  AND  SELINUNTIUM.  151 

kindred,  and  we  go  forth  to  begin  life,  as  it  were,  anew,  to 
make  ourselves  homes  abroad,  to  commune  with  foreign  lands 
and  customs,  to  take  upon  ourselves  the  cheerless  name,  and 
the  lonely  lot  "of  the  stranger.  Yet  art  thou  a  consolation 
and  a  noble  teacher,  restless  spirit  as  thou  art.  Guided  and 
impelled  by  thee,  how  much  do  we  learn  !  How  do  our 
minds  expand  with  liberality  that  can  see  good  in  all  things 
and  with  love  that  can  find  brotherhood  in  every  human  be- 
ing ;  how  do  we  draw  principles  from  the  mingled  teachings 
of  nature  and  society,  as  their  united  voices  variously  and 
eloquently  cry  to  us  on  our  pilgrim  path !  We  study  the 
great  volume  of  the  world  and  of  creation,  not  according  to 
some  narrow  and  local  interpretation,  but  as  cosmopolites,  as 
humanitarians,  as  men.  We  weave  ties  of  fellowship  and 
love,  beautiful  because  so  wholly  our  own  work — the  result 
of  the  contact  of  our  own  natures  with  what  is  congenial  in 
spirit,  though  in  habit  and  circumstance  utterly  foreign.  We 
thus  realize  the  compass  of  our  minds,  the  power  of  our  affec- 
tions, and  the  illimitable  capacity  of  our  sympathies.  Alas  ! 
that  the  sweet  bonds  with  which  the  solitary  sojourner  binds 
himself  to  the  warm-hearted  and  the  fair  of  other  lands,  to 
the  beings  who,  in  each  abiding-place,  cheer  him  with  kind- 
ness, and  solace  him  with  affection,  should  be  so  transient ; 
that  just  as  a  home-feeling  steals  over  him,  he  must  renew 
his  pilgrimage  ;  that  at  the  moment  his  heart  has  made  unto 
itself  glad  fellowship,  he  must  become  again  a  wayfarer  ! 
This,  to  the  true-hearted  and  the  grateful,  is  the  greatest 
sacrifice  which  travel  demands  of  its  votaries,  the  most  severe 
tribute  which  he  lays  upon  her  altar ;  for  all  of  comfort  and 
safety  that  he  has  foregone  fades  quickly  from  memory,  but 
the  obligations  of  the  mind  and  heart  are  never  forgotten. 

Thus  felt  Isabel  as  she  looked  back  from  Monreale  upon 
the  valley,  sea,  and  city,  amid  which  she  had  so  long  tarried. 


152  SICILY. 

And  the  painful  sense  wliicli  ever  accompanies  the  idea  of 
parting,  faded  not  from  her  mind,  until  after  a  long  ride 
among  the  hills,  whose  aspect  was  rather  wild  and  rocky,  they 
emerged  from  between  two  rugged  cliffs,  and  came  suddenly 
in  view  of  the  green  valley  of  Partinico,  spreading  from  the 
sea  in  the  same  fertility  of  aspect  and  level  expanse  which 
distinguish  the  plain  around  the  capital.  The  remainder  of 
the  carriage-road  winds  through  a  country  resembling,  in 
every  essential  feature,  that  which  they  had  passed  in  pre- 
vious journeyings.  Still  the  olive-trees  rose  thickly  in  the 
fields,  their  ancient  and  gnarled  stumps  bearing  in  sturdy 
pride  the  thick  and  dim  mass  of  foliage,  nourished  most  mys- 
teriously, it  would  sometimes  seem,  through  the  narrowest 
possible  remnant  of  the  decayed  trunk.  Still  the  hills 
stretched  in  dreary  ranges,  and  exhibited  masses  of  oxydated 
rock  ;  and  still  the  way  was  skirted  with  the  bluish  and 
spear-like  leaves  of  the  aloe,  upon  whose  thorny  edges  hung 
many  a  crystal  dew-drop. 

It  was  but  dawn  when  they  left  the  village  which  formed 
the  boundary  of  the  carriage-road,  and  guided  their  horses 
into  the  path  which  leads  to  the  site  of  the  ancient  ^Egesta. 
The  way  lay  along  the  edge  of  a  deep  glen.  The  ranges  of 
mountains  opposite  are  rock-ribbed,  and  dotted  with  culti- 
vated lots,  and  the  path  itself  is  thickly  bordered  with  over- 
hanging bushes,  clusters  of  wormwood,  and  innumerable  wild 
flowers.  From  the  more  elevated  parts  of  this  rugged  and 
narrow  path,  when  the  wide  slopes  on  the  right,  the  green 
defile  beneath,  and  the  clear  horizon  beyond,  were  all  visible, 
the  scene  was  remarkably  picturesque.  As  they  wound 
slowly  along,  gradually  coming  in  sight  of  its  different  fea- 
tures, the  morning  light  stole  softly,  and  in  gentle  gradations, 
over  the  landscape,  now  falling  goldenly  upon  some  high 
mound,  now  giving  a  silvery  glow  to  the  polished  leaves  of  a 


SEGESTA  AND  SELINVNTWM.  I53 

distant  and  lofty  tree,  and  radiating  more  and  more  broadly 
a  clear  light  along  the  eastern  sky.  Isabel's  gaze  was  di- 
rected to  the  hills  on  her  left,  as  the  sun  thus  silently  dis- 
persed from  their  tops  the  mist  of  night,  when,  at  a  break  in 
their  line,  unexpectedly  as  a  vision,  appeared  the  beautiful 
temple,  standing  in  solitary  prominence  upon  a  broad,  high 
hill-top.  The  early  gleam  of  the  sun  fell  upon  its  simple  col- 
umns, between  which  glimmered  from  afar  the  lucid  horizon. 
The  lonel}'  position  of  this  chaste  edifice  gives  a  singular  and 
striking  effect  to  its  first  appearance,  rising  thus  to  the  eye 
unawares.  No  trees  interrupt  the  view.  xSo  adjacent  ob- 
jects distract  the  attention.  Though  by  no  means  lofty  or 
commanding  in  its  proportions,  it  is  placed  so  high,  that,  when 
seen  from  below,  and  thus  distantly,  there  is  a  majesty  in  its 
aspect  which  is  deeply  impressive.  The  time-worn  hue,  the 
graceful  pillars,  the  airy  architecture,  the  elevated  position, 
induce  an  immediate  and  most  pleasing  impression.  The  be- 
holder at  once  feels  that  there  is  before  him  a  Grecian  tem- 
ple— one  of  those  few  specimens  which  embalm  and  illustrate 
a  principle  of  art.  and  memorialize  an  exploded  but  poetical 
religion.  The  perfect  repose  of  an  hour,  the  extensive  and 
varied  scenery,  the  lonely  position  of  this  fair  vestige,  and  its 
tranquil  beauty,  were  scarcely  realized  by  the  travellers,  ere, 
like  a  scenic  image,  it  was  lost  to  view  as  suddenly  as  it  had 
appeared.  The  next  bend  of  the  mountains  veiled  it  from 
their  gaze,  and  left  them  at  liberty  to  speculate  upon  its  ap- 
pearance. This  momentary  glimpse,  however,  sufiiced  to 
strike  and  arouse  Isabel's  imagination  more  effectually,  per- 
haps, than  a  nearer  and  longer  inspection.  She  pondered 
long  upon  the  devotion  to  Nature  which  the  site  selected  for 
its  erection  indicated,  upon  the  love  of  the  simple  so  insig- 
nificantly displayed  in  its  architecture,  upon  the   delightful 

union  of  the  beauty  of  art  with  the  glory  of  the  universe, 

7# 


154  SICILY. 

wbicli  the  Greeks  understood  so  well  how  to  combine  into 
one  noble  influence,  to  arouse  human  feeling  and  address  the 
sense  of  the  ideal.  No  one,  she  thought,  possessing  one 
spark  of  the  soul's  ethereal  fire  could  encounter  such  a  tem- 
ple, encircled  by  the  green  hills,  and  canopied  by  the  vaulted 
sky — at  the  solemn  hour  of  morning,  without  thinking  of  a 
superior  intelligence,  and  yielding  to  the  inspiration  of  that 
devotional  sentiment  which  prompts  the  human  heart  to  seek 
that  which  is  above .  and  eternal ;  in  wretched  ignorance  too 
often  it  may  be,  with  a  most  dim  and  inadequate  sense  of  its 
object  perhaps  ;  but  still  there  would  be  the  feeling,  the  idea 
of  devotion — the  struggling  of  the  spirit  to  mount — the  tend- 
ing of  the  soul  heavenward — the  uplooking,  the  inclination  to 
the  spiritual,  which  is  man's  highest  attribute.  In  such  a 
feeling  there  is  blessedness.  How  much  might  art  and  soci- 
ety and  experience  encourage  and  call  it  forth,  were  men 
more  inclined  to  lessen  the  machinery  and  cherish  the  poetry 
of  life  !  After  winding  round  the  base  of  the  hills,  they 
came  out  upon  the  almost  barren  scene  which  once  teemed 
with  the  dwellings  of  an  ancient  city.  On  the  summit  of  a 
mountain — itself  the  centre  of  an  amphitheatre  of  hills,  are 
the  remains  of  the  amphitheatre  of  Segeste ;  and  as  one  sits 
upon  the  highest  range  of  stone  seats,  the  eye  glances  over  a 
mountainous  and  wild  region,  embracing  a  prospect  of  re- 
markable extent.  Below,  upon  a  lesser  elevation,  and  in  the 
centre  of  a  dale,  appears  the  temple — the  only  other  distinct 
relic  of  the  ruined  city.  Its  thirty-six  columns  are  much  in- 
dented and  shattered,  and  have  been  partially  restored.  As 
the  strangers  stood  upon  the  weedy  ground,  beneath  the  roof- 
less architrave,  the  wind  sighed  through  the  open  pillars  as  it 
swept  from  the  hills.  A  flock  of  goats  were  ruminating  upon 
the  slope  which  declined  from  the  front  of  the  building,  and 


SEGESTA  AND  SELINUNTIUM.  155 

scores  of  birds,  distributed  by  the  intrusiorij  fluttered  and 
wailed  above  their  heads. 

'•  This  Doric  structure,"  said  Vittorio,  "  is  supposed  to 
have  been  dedicated  to  Ceres,  and  is  no  unworthy  token  of 
the  city  it  has  survived,  whose  foundations  were  laid  soon 
after  the  Trojan  war,  and  the  destruction  of  which  is  attrib- 
uted to  Agathoclcs.  This  tyrant's  anger  was  provoked  by 
the  uEgestans  having  asked  aid  from  the  Carthaginians  to  re- 
sist his  usurpations.  How  beautiful  appears  such  an  archi- 
tectural relic,  standing  alone  in  the  midst  of  these  wild  sweep- 
ing hills — a  lone  memorial  of  departed  ages — invoking  the 
traveller  to  remember  that  here  once  flourished  the  arts  of 
life,  and  swelled  the  tide  of  humanity  in  grandeur  and  pros- 
perity, where  all  is  now  solitude  and  dreariness  !  No  sound 
but  the  tinkling  bells  of  that  browsing  herd,  and  the  wild 
hymn  of  the  free  wind,  meets  our  ears.  No  human  figures 
enliven  the  scene,  save  that  group  of  herdsmen  leaning  on 
their  reeds.  All  is  lone  and  silent.  Yet  as  we  look  upon 
these  columns,  which  violence  has  mutilated,  and  time 
stamped  with  decay,  and  trace  the  lines  of  human  workman- 
ship ;  as  we  at  one  view  contemplate  the  regular  position  of 
the  pillars,  the  cornice,  the  pediment,  the  broad  steps,  the 
simple  majesty  of  the  design,  and  mark  the  evidences  of  hu- 
man thought — how  clearly  does  this  isolated  object  bring 
home  to  the  spectator  the  thought  of  those  who  once  gath- 
ered about  this  portal  in  familiar  conclave,  and  to  whose 
eyes  this  temple  was  as  well  known  as  the  landscape  of  our 
native  place  to  us  !  For  ages  the  morning  has  gilded  these 
columns  as  at  this  moment ;  for  ages  they  have  been  be- 
dewed with  the  tears  of  the  solemn  night.  Centuries  of 
revolution,  and  of  nature's  annual  decline  and  renovation, 
have  passed  on,  and  still  it  stands,  venerable  and  alone — a 
mute   chronicle,  unshadowed   by  one  of  the  ma^v  edifices 


156  SICILY. 

that  rose  around  it — the  recordless  monument  of  the  city  it 
adorned." 

After  leaving  this  interesting  spot,  the  way  became  more 
void  of  the  signs  of  life  and  cultivation.  Now  and  then  they 
passed  a  lettiga^  with  its  complement  of  passengers  and  at- 
tendants. This  is  the  national  carriage  of  Sicily.  It  con- 
sists of  a  kind  of  box,  like  the  body  of  a  carriage,  rudely 
painted  with  the  effigies  of  saints  and  martyrs,  and  secured 
to  two  poles,  which  are  supported  in  front  and  behind  upon 
the  backs  of  two  mules.  The  constant  tinkling  of  the  bells, 
and  the  uneasy  motion  of  these  animals,  combined  with  the 
narrow  dimensions  of  the  vehicle,  render  it  a  comfortless  con- 
veyance. The  extensive  hill-sides  and  plains  in  this  region 
afford  pasturage  to  numerous  flocks  of  sheep  and  herds  of 
cattle,  and  occasionally  patches  of  more  productive  soil  were 
covered  with  the  blue  blossom  of  the  flax,  or  green  with  the 
newly-sprung  grain.  There  was  a  forbidding  aspect,  how- 
ever, in  most  of  the  scenery,  especially  when  a  cloud  veiled 
from  its  wide  surface  the  cheerful  sunlight.  Our  travellers 
were  not  the  less  sensible  of  this  lack  of  pleasing  features  in 
the  landscape,  that  they  were  fresh  from  the  companionship 
and  living  language  of  the  metropolis.  Who  has  not  felt, 
after  a  long  abode  in  town,  when  he  has  found  himself  alone 
in  a  thinly-populated  country,  a  certain  strangeness  of  posi- 
tion, arising  from  the  unwonted  absence  of  the  sights  and 
sounds  of  multitudinous  life  ? 

"  It  seems  sometimes  well,"  said  Isabel,  "  to  quit  thus  the 
circle  of  busy  life,  to  leave  behind  us  the  symbols  of  social 
refinement,  and  to  come  forth  into  the  loneliness  of  nature. 
We  return  to  these  enjoyments  with  a  new  delight." 

'•  I  doubt,"  replied  Vittorio,  "  if  any  but  travellers  can 
thoroughly  appreciate  the  blessings  of  civilization,  the  ameni- 
ties of  cultivated  society,  and  what  Lamb  calls  '  the  sweet  se- 


SEGESTA  AND  SELINUNTIUM.  157 

curity  of  streets.'  It  is  by  contrast  that  we  realize  their 
charms.  And  I  know  no  change  more  delightful  than  that 
from  days  of  wandering  in  a  scantily  habited  country,  to  our 
accustomed  round  of  friendly  visits,  and  social  pleasures, 
where  are  congregated  the  dwellings  of  our  kind,  environed 
with  the  graces,  the  courtesies,  and  the  refinements  of  social 
existence." 

Frazier,  who  had  dismounted,  and  rambled  to  a  little  dis- 
tance, returned  with  his  hand  full  of  herbs. 

"  Look,"  he  exclaimed,  "  while  you  have  been  idly  specu- 
lating, I  have  botanized  to  some  advantage  ;  for  in  this  little 
walk  I  have  discovered  several  wild  plants,  which,  in  their 
cultivated  state,  garnish  our  tables.  It  proves  how  fertile 
in  useful  productions,  are  even  the  barrenest  parts  of  the 
island.  Here,  for  instance,  is  a  bunch  of  wild  asparagus,  al- 
most as  good  in  appearance  as  is  sold  in  the  markets  of 
America." 

"  You  would  find  it  rather  bitter  though,"  said  the  count, 
laughing  ;  ''  but  we  are  approaching  a  finer  illustration  of  the 
richness  of  the  Sicilian  soil." 

As  he  spoke  they  came  in  view  of  another  of  these  rich 
plains,  which  occur,  at  intervals,  along  the  coast,  and  afford 
the  greatest  contrast  to  the  desolate  chains  of  mountain  scen- 
ery which  extend  back  for  miles  from  their  borders. 

There  is  an  ancient  quarry  at  the  distance  of  a  few  miles 
from  the  now  impoverished  town  of  Castel-Vetrano,  at  which 
travellers  repose  on  the  route  we  are  describing,  if  haply  they 
are  provided  with  the  appurtenances  to  secure  comfortable 
slumber,  and  bid  defiance  to  the  attacks  of  the  insects  which 
infest  the  country-houses  of  the  island.  The  ride  thither  is 
dreary,  and  the  first  object  worthy  of  note  which  meets  the 
e3"e  is  Pantelleria,  looming  up  from  the  sea  at  a  considerable 
distance,  its  two  mounds,  if  the  day  be  fine,  clearly  defined 


158  SICILY. 

against  the  horizon.  This  island  is  the  wretched  abode  of 
most  of  the  state  prisoners  of  the  kingdom  of  Naples.  The 
old  quarry  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  cultivated  field. 
There  is  a  large  mass  of  granite,  bearing  the  most  obvious 
marks  of  having  been  anciently  cut  for  architectural  purposes. 
Two  or  three  circular  blocks,  of  about  nine  feet  in  diameter, 
remain  standing,  and  were  evidently  intended  as  parts  of 
enormous  columns.  It  is  curious  to  remark,  that  the  man- 
ner of  working  this  quarry  was  evidently  to  cut  the  blocks 
for  use  directly  from  the  mass,  instead  of  first  excavating 
fragments,  and  then  shaping  them,  as  is  the  modern  custom. 
Vittorio  bade  Isabel  notice  this,  as  a  proof  of  the  economy 
of  ancient  labor.  The  difficulty  there  must  have  been  in 
transporting  these  huge  segments  was  another  subject  of  won- 
derment. 

"  If  it  were  not  for  these  rank  weeds,  and  this  thick  coat 
of  moss,"  said  Frazier,  '•  one  would  think  the  work  was  aban 
doned  but  yesterday.  How  plainly  you  can  trace  the  lines 
of  the  chisel  !  Yet  this  scene  of  action  was  thus  suddenlji 
deserted  many  ages  ago,  and  has  apparently  been  undisturbed 
since,  save  by  the  traveller's  footstep." 

On  quitting  the  place  to  visit  the  site  of  Selinuntium, 
which  city  was  evidently  indebted  for  its  most  lasting  mate- 
rial to  this  very  quarry,  they  found  the  path  far  difi'erent 
from  that  which  they  had  threaded  since  morning.  It  was  a 
lane,  thickly  bordered  with  myrtles  and  flov/ery  shrubs,  which 
perfumed  the  air  beneath  a  sunlight  so  vivid,  that  they  were 
glad  to  guide  their  horses  beneath  the  trees  which  overhung 
the  way.  There  was  a  mingled  wildness  and  garden-like 
beauty  in  this  sequestered  road  which  charmed  Isabel,  and 
she  was  delighted  to  find,  in  many  of  the  floral  emblems,  that 
seemed  to  smile  upon  her  from  their  waving  stalks,  or  meekly 
court  a  glance   from  below,  many  of  the  flowers  which  at 


SEGESTA  AND  SELINUNTIUM.  I59 

home  were  deemed  worthy  of  assiduous  culture.  Through 
the  openings  in  the  hedge,  here  and  there,  were  visible  the 
thatched  and  hive-like  tents  of  carbonari  and  the  cheese-mak- 
ers. Near  the  former  a  wreath  of  blue  smoke  curled  grace- 
fully upward  ;  and  about  the  latter  the  cattle  lay  in  groups, 
with  their  stag-like  heads  motionless,  giving  a  rural  and  pic- 
turesque air  to  the  otherwise  deserted  scene.  From  this 
shady  and  soothing  way  they  came  out  upon  a  sandy  beach, 
upon  which  broke,  in  gentle  murmurings,  the  blue  waters  of 
the  sea,  and,  ascending  a  high  cliff,  were  at  the  foot  of  the 
lesser  pile  of  ruins  which  indicate  where  stood  the  ancient 
Selinus.  Between  this  spot  and  the  opposite  elevation  was 
the  port  of  the  city,  now  choked  up  with  sand  ;  and  the  plain 
above  the  farther  promontory  is  covered,  for  a  considerable 
space  around,  with  the  massive  remains  of  the  temples  of 
Selinuntium.  These  fragments,  with  the  exception  of  two  or 
three  columns  which  still  rise  in  stern  pride,  seem  to  have 
been  thrown  down  by  some  violent  convulsion  of  the  earth. 
They  are  all  in  a  style  of  severe  simplicity,  and  the  vestiges 
of  the  largest  edifice  indicate  its  size  to  have  been  grand  be- 
yond conception.  There  is  something  unique,  even  to  one 
very  familiar  with  the  trophies  of  antiquity,  in  the  appearance 
of  this  mass  of  ruins.  Broken  columns,  capitals,  wall-stones, 
and  architraves,  huddled  promiscuously  together,  and  bear- 
ing few  traces  of  time's  corrosive  torch,  but  rather  wearing  a 
hue  of  freshness  and  undiminished  strength.  Their  position, 
however,  and  the  herbage  and  wild  flowers  which  grow  luxu- 
riantly amid  and  around  them,  sufficiently  vindicate  their 
claim  to  the  title  of  ruins.  The  sea-breeze  stirred  the  flow- 
ing hair  of  Isabel  as  she  sat  upon  one  of  these  huge  frag- 
ments between  her  uncle  and  Yittorio,  v.'hile  their  purveyor 
arranged  their  collation  upon  the  wide  slab  of  a  fallen  pillar. 
She  looked  seaward,  round  over  the  verdant  plains,  and  then 


160  SICILY. 

upon  these  noble  and  prostrate  remains,  and  the  glad  har- 
mony of  nature  seemed  to  blend  with  the  solemn  music  of 
antiquity,  and  move  in  one  deep,  rich,  and  softened  cadence 
over  her  heart. 

"  If  toil  and  enduring  material  could  secure  the  perpetu- 
ity of  human  temples,"  said  the  count,  "  one  would  think  that 
these  would  have  remained  unharmed,  and  stood  now  in  solid 
grandeur  as  at  the  hour  of  their  completion.  Yet  one  earth- 
quake, perhaps  of  momentary  duration,  long  since,  laid  their 
proud  columns  in  the  dust.  How  triumphant  are  the  ener- 
gies of  nature  !  How  transient  the  mightiest  efforts  of  art ! 
See  what  a  vine  has  spread  its  tendrils  over  this  capital,  and 
note  that  brightly-painted  lizard  glide  fearlessly  over  this 
splendid  segment  of  a  majestic  column." 

"  Yet,  after  all,"  said  Frazier,  "  why  moralize  over  a  few 
blocks  of  granite,  which  were  quarried,  carved,  and  reared 
into  a  gigantic  structure,  and,  having  served  their  destined 
purpose,  were  hurled  down  to  crumble  on  the  earth  ?  Rather 
look  upon  these  fertile  fields,  and  that  line  of  fishing-boats, 
and  rejoice  that  the  resources  of  the  earth  are  ever  renewed, 
so  that,  with  due  labor  and  care,  men,  age  after  age,  are  pro- 
vided with  the  necessities  of  life  and  the  bounties  of  Provi- 
dence." 

•'  It  is,  I  believe,"  said  Isabel,  "  because  the  count  has 
faith  in  other  wants  than  such  as  these  that  he  speaks  mourn- 
fully of  these  ruins.  He  sees  an  evidence  of  devotion  to  some- 
thing beyond  and  above  physical  life.  They  are  mementos 
of  sentiment,  taste,  and  mind.  They  bespeak  a  love  of  the 
grand  and  the  beautiful,  and  therefore  it  is  saddening  to  think 
of  their  downfall  and  behold  their  decay.  Yet  methinks  it 
were  more  consoling  to  remember  the  eternity  of  the  princi- 
ple that  gave  them  birth ;  to  think  that  art's  divinest  product 
is  but  faintly  typical  of  human  capacity — to  think  that  the 


SEGESTA  AND  SELINUNTIUM.  161 

more  completely  vain  seem  the  embodiments  of  genius  and 
feeling  now,  the  more  conscious  is  the  spirit  of  a  nobler 
sphere  and  an  immortal  destiny." 

Isabel's  eye  and  cheek  glowed,  and  her  voice  was  firm  in 
its  sweetness  as  she  spoke.  Her  travelling  hat  was  thrown 
back,  that  the  refreshing  air  might  visit  her  brow  more  free- 
ly ;  and  as  she  thus  uttered  her  young  but  warm  conviction, 
even  her  uncle's  smile  changed  to  a  gaze  of  admiring  affec- 
tion, and  the  earnest  eyes  of  Vittorio  were  thoughtfully  fixed 
upon  her  face.  She  seemed  to  him  like  the  lovely  genius  of 
the  scene — the  inspired  prophetess,  heaven-appointed,  to  in- 
terpret its  teachings. 


)riartn. 


Rebellious  subjects,  enen)ies  to  peace, 

Profaners  of  this  neighbor-stained  steel, 

Will  they  not  hear  ? — what  ho  !  you  men,  you  beasts — 

That  quench  the  lire  of  your  pernicious  rage, 

With  purplo  fountains  issuing  from  your  veins, 

On  pain  of  torture,  from  those  bloody  hands 

Throw  your  mistempered  weapons  to  the  ground. 

ROMKO    AND   JTTLIKT. 

THE  path,  beyond  tlie  remarkable  vestiges  of  Selinuntium, 
intersects  a  cork  wood  of  some  extent.  The  trees  which 
compose  it  are  not,  however,  of  that  immense  size  which  ren- 
ders these  forests  so  grand  and  gloomy  in  more  northern 
districts  of  Europe.  They  are  triennially  barked,  and,  at 
different  times,  have  proved  highly  profitable  to  the  proprie- 
tors, A  bfoad  heath,  interspersed  with  masses  of  tangled 
brushwood,  opens  from  the  extremity  of  this  grove,  and  its 
barrenness  is  relieved  by  the  yellow  blossoms  of  a  species  of 
broom  which  abounds  here,  of  a  bell-like  form,  and  pleasant 
perfume.  A  rough  and  precipitous  descent  conducts  the 
traveller  down  to  the  sea-shore,  upon  which  stands  the  town 
of  Sciacca.  There  are  few  among  the  many  picturesque  lo- 
calities of  Sicily  which  strike  the  beholder  as  better  adapted 
for  the  scenes  of  romance  than  this.     The  country,  for  many 


SCIACCA.  163 

miles  round,  is  wild  and  hilly,  and  a  long  ridge  of  lonely 
beacli  offers  the  most  accessible  road  during  a  considerable 
space.  Several  abrupt  mountains  are  grouped  commandingly 
at  a  short  distance  from  the  sea,  from  one  of  which  a  constant 
stream  of  sulphur  vapor  exhudes,  and  at  their  base  are  several 
warm  springs  mentioned  in  ancient  history.  Beneath  these 
hills,  upon  a  promontory  jutting  into  the  ocean,  appears 
Sciacca.  The  peculiar  hue  of  age  which  distinguishes  its 
compact  buildings  and  wave-washed  ramparts,  is  in  admirable 
keeping  with  the  wild  adjacent  scenery  and  bleak  position  of 
the  ancient  town.  The  ascent  to  its  walls  is  very  steep  and 
broken ;  and  as  our  travellers  were  slowly  winding  up  the 
rude  mule-path,  Isabel  declared  there  must  be  some  fearful 
legend  or  historic  interest  attached  to  the  spot,  and  turned 
to  the  count  for  a  confirmation  of  her  surmises.  He  could 
not  but  credit  her  sagacity ;  and  when  the  party  were  re- 
freshed, as  far  as  the  miserable  accommodations  of  the  place 
permitted,  they  beguiled  the  evening  with  a  glimpse  of  the 
history  of  that  now  decayed  and  impoverished  country. 

"  The  ruins  of  the  two  castles  back  of  the  town,  and  an 
old  palace  within  its  walls,  are  the  only  existent  memorials 
of  the  most  distinguished  among  its  ancient  families.  No- 
bility and  wealth  combined  to  give  the  ascendency  in  Sciacca 
to  the  houses  of  Luna  and  PeroUo.  Between  these  rival 
barons,  and  their  descendants,  there  existed  a  feud  as  in- 
veterate and  deadly,  though  boasting  no  such  affecting  catas- 
trophe, as  that  which  has  immortalized  the  names  of  Capulet 
and  Montague.  Its  origin,  like  that  of  many  similar  quarrels, 
is  attributed  to  disappointed  love.  Arrale  Luna  and  John 
PeroUo  were  suitors  for  the  hand  of  Margaret  Peralta,  an 
accomplished  and  beautiful  heiress.  At  that  moment  the 
balance  of  worldly  advantages  preponderated  in  favor  of 
Luna,  who  was  a  great  favorite  at  court;    and  he  was  ac- 


164  SICILY. 

cepted,  although  it  is  believed  the  lady  greatly  preferred  his 
rival.  If  she  did  thus  sacrifice  her  affections  to  ambition, 
the  usual  fatal  consequences  of  such  perversity  soon  followed ; 
for  in  a  very  short  time  after  his  marriage,  Count  Arrale, 
having  taken  a  bath  at  the  foot  of  younder  mountain,  under 
the  church  of  St.  Barnabas,  suddenly  died,  in  June,  1412.  It 
was  currently  reported  that  the  bath  was  poisoned  by  the  un- 
successful lover.  However  ill-established  the  story  was,  a 
mere  suspicion  of  this  nature,  in  that  sanguinary  age,  was 
sufficient  to  excite  in  the  minds  of  Luna's  immediate  descend- 
ants a  desire  and  purpose  of  revenge.  This  was  increased  by 
a  litigation  between  the  houses  respecting  the  barony  of  St. 
Bartolomy,  then  in  possession  of  Perollo.  The  case  was  de- 
cided in  favor  of  Luna,  and  thus  a  new  occasion  for  mutual 
animosity  presented  itself  Deprived  of  his  estate  by  his 
enemy,  and  mindful  of  his  ancestor's  wrong,  Perollo  deter- 
mined to  inflict  summary  vengeance  upon  his  rival,  whose 
very  presence,  environed  as  it  was  with  all  the  insignia  of 
successful  ambition  and  superior  wealth,  was  a  source  of  con- 
stant annoyance  to  the  haughty  baron.  The  manner  in  which 
he  undertook  to  obtain  satisfaction  for  his  baffled  hopes,  and 
satisfy  his  long-cherished  hatred,  is  a  remarkable  evidence  of 
the  daring  and  ferocious  spirit  of  those  times.  Towards 
evening,  on  the  sixth  of  April,  1 455,  as  Luna  was  walking  in 
procession  with  the  priests  of  the  Holy  Thorn,  near  the  palace 
of  Perollo,  his  enemy,  taking  advantage  of  his  defenceless 
position,  rushed  forth,  and  stabbed  him  till  he  fell.  Then, 
leaving  him  weltering  in  his  gore,  he  hastened  with  a  party 
of  adherents  to  the  palace  of  his  fallen  foe,  and,  setting  it  on 
fire,  abandoned  it  to  destruction.  Luna's  wound  was  not, 
however,  mortal,  and  he  gradually  recovered  from  its  effects. 
This  flagrant  crime  was  the  means  of  extending  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  inveterate  feud  which  had  so  long  disturbed  the 


SCIACCA.  165 

peace,  not  only  of  the  rival  families,  but  of  their  whole  native 
city,  and  in  order,  if  possible,  to  arrest  its  progress,  King 
Alphonso  banished  both  of  the  fierce  barons.  In  the  course 
of  the  year  1462,  John  of  Arragon  recalled  them,  and,  whether 
cooled  by  absence,  or  rendered  reasonable  by  advancing  years, 
on  returning  to  Sciacca  they  mutually  avoided  all  occasions 
of  discord,  and  passed  their  remaining  days  in  friendship. 

"  Nearly  seventy  years  had  elapsed,  and  Charles  occupied 
the  throne  of  Spain  and  Sicily.  It  was  one  of  the  most  agi- 
tated and  eventful  epochs  in  the  history  of  the  island.  The 
two  leading  houses  of  Sciacca  had  continued  to  advance  in 
riches  and  power,  and  at  this  time  they  occupied  relatively 
the  same  antagonist  positions.  They  still  were  rivals  in  wealth 
and  ambition,  superior  in  rank  and  influence  to  all  around 
them,  and  sufficiently  balanced  in  the  number  of  their  re- 
spective friends,  the  pride  of  birth,  and  the  means  of  acquir- 
ing power,  to  keep  alive  a  constant  and  active  spirit  of  rival- 
ry. In  accordance,  too,  with  the  notions  of  the  age,  it  was 
deemed  chivalrous  to  remember  that  their  ancestors  were 
enemies,  and  keep  the  slumbering  embers  of  past  feuds  from 
being  utterly  extinguished.  The  demon  of  quarrel,  however, 
for  a  considerable  time,  only  manifested  itself  among  the  de- 
pendents and  friends  of  the  two  nobles,  occasionally  breaking 
out  in  petty  disputes  or  bloody  encounters.  Thus,  even  with- 
out the  immediate  agency  of  the  principal  personages,  the 
order,  security,  and  quiet  of  Sciacca  were  perpetually  invaded 
by  this  long-nurtured  feud.  The  narrow  confines  of  a  single 
city  were  insufficient  to  sustain  the  conflicting  pride  of  two 
such  haughty  chiefs ;  and  the  spirit  of  faction,  that  enemy  of 
social  tranquillity,  raged  with  unrestrained  ferocity  and  seem- 
ingly deathless  energy  amid  the  inhabitants  of  Sciacca.  An 
incident  soon  occurred  which  roused  the  leaders  to  renewed 
hostilities.     Sericano  Bassa,  a  famous  Moorish  corsair,  who 


166  .    SICILY. 

had  carried  off  many  of  the  inhabitants  from  the  coast  of 
Sicily,  and  consigned  them  to  slavery,  succeeded,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1529,  in  surprising  the  Baron  of  Sola.nto,  while  that 
noble  and  his  friends  were  hunting.  Proud  of  such  a  prize, 
the  bold  pirate  appeared  off  the  shore  of  Sciacca,  and  dis- 
played signals  for  a  ransom.  Luna  presented  himself,  and 
made  large  offers  to  retrieve  the  captives,  but  his  exertions 
were  quite  unsuccessful.  Perollo,  equally  anxious  to  effect 
the  same  object,  not  only  tendered  rich  presents,  but  endeav- 
ored to  gain  the  good-will  of  the  corsair  by  his  attentions  and 
talents.  In  a  short  time  those  efforts  were  so  effectual,  that 
the  dreaded  pirate  not  only  gave  up  his  noble  prisoner,  but 
solemnly  pledged  himself  to  Perollo  never  henceforth  to 
cruise  near  the  shore  of  Sciacca.  Thus  the  baron  not  only 
conferred  a  lasting  obligation  upon  one  whose  friendship  was 
eminently  desirable,  but  rendered  an  important  service,  and 
one  which  could  not  but  be  deeply  felt,  upon  his  native  city. 
This  triumph  of  his  rival's  excited  the  most  rancorous  envy 
in  the  breast  of  Luna ;  and  so  open  was  he  in  his  threats  of 
injury,  having  retired  to  Castabellata,  and  consulted  with  his 
friends  as  to  the  best  means  of  exterminating  his  enemy,  that 
Perollo  and  his  partisans  began  to  consider  how  they  could 
best  anticipate  his  machinations.  Luna  and  his  counsellors 
deliberately  determined  upon  the  death  of  his  rival,  and  ac- 
cordingly sallied  forth  at  night,  at  the  head  of  a  hundred 
soldiers,  who,  to  avoid  suspicion,  were  dispersed  through  the 
city.  Their  intended  victim,  having  received  timely  warning, 
was  shut  up  in  his  palace  under  the  plea  of  illness.  The 
bravi  of  Luna  succeeded  in  taking  two  well-known  friends  of 
Perollo,  whom  they  instantly  despatched,  and  bore  their 
heads,  affixed  to  poles,  through  the  streets  of  the  town.  An 
excellent  and  illustrious  citizen,  heart-sick  at  this  horrible 
proceeding,  attempted  to  establish  a  reconciliation,  and  ap- 


SCIACCA.  167 

peared  before  both  barons,  bearing  an  olive  branch,  and 
counselling  peace ;  but  the  good  old  man  was  seized  by  some 
members  of  one  of  the  factions,  who  affected  to  consider  him 
a  spy,  and  basely  murdered.  "When  Perollo  heard  of  this 
new  crime,  he  appealed  to  the  viceroy  for  assistance.  Baron 
Statella,  from  Catania,  was  commissioned,  in  conjunction 
with  the  fiscal  counsellors,  and  three  officers  of  Sciacca,  with 
full  power.  He  ordered  Luna  to  disband  his  troops  and  re- 
turn to  Castabellata,  executed  the  leading  ruffians,  and  took 
every  measure  to  quell  the  tumult.  But  the  riotous  citizens 
rose  upon  him,  and  Luna,  after  dissembling  a  short  time,  re- 
turned with  an  increased  force,  and  declared  himself  resolved 
to  prosecute  his  purposes.  In  this  emergency,  Perollo  sent 
his  eldest  son  to  solicit  succor  at  Messina,  with  a  strong  at- 
tendant guard.  Luna  took  immediate  advantage  of  the  dimi- 
nution of  the  forces  sent  to  guard  his  rival,  and,  having  bar- 
ricaded the  streets,  surrounded  the  palace  where  Statella 
resided,  who  was  killed,  and  his  body  thrown  from  the  bat- 
tlements. Perollo's  castle  was  also  besieged,  and,  after  a 
prolonged  and  desperate  assault,  was  on  the  point  of  being 
taken,  when  the  friends  of  its  unhappy  proprietor  once  more 
endeavored  to  win  Luna  to  peace.  The  haughty  baron  re- 
fused all  overtures,  unless  his  enemy  should  kneel  to  him, 
ask  forgiveness,  and  kiss  his  feet.  The  bearer  of  this  humili- 
ating proposal  having  been  severely  beaten,  Luna  was  so 
exasperated,  that  on  the  following  morning  he  renewed  his 
attacks  vehemently,  and,  having  made  a  breach,  penetrated 
to  the  interior  of  the  castle,  and  spread  ruin  and  death  around 
him.  Perollo  fled  by  the  southern  postern ;  the  victor  re- 
spected the  persons  of  the  fugitive's  family,  but  turned  a 
deaf  ear  to  their  tearful  prayers  for  peace.  Perollo  took 
refuge  in  a  house  near  the  sea,  but  was  betrayed  to  Luna  by 
one  of  his  own  faction.     He  was  slain  by  the  daggers  of  his 


168  '  SICILY. 

rival's  partisans,  and  his  body  dragged  through  the  streets, 
attached  to  the  tail  of  Luna's  horse.  Frederick  Perollo  re- 
turned at  the  head  of  a  powerful  force,  and  revenged  his 
father's  death  by  the  massacre  of  Luna  and  his  adherents. 
This  last  sanguinary  scene  closed  the  long  and  tragic  feud 
of  the  rival  houses — a  feud  unparalleled  for  its  inveteracy, 
and  affording  a  sad  illustration  of  the  spirit  of  those  times — 
a  feud  which  for  many  generations  divided  and  harassed  the 
people,  and  signally  marred  the  prosperity  of  Sciacca." 


What  is  gray  with  age  becomes  religion.  Wallknstkik. 

THE  dreariness  of  the  ride  from  Sciacca  to  Girgenti  is  in- 
terrupted only  by  the  occasional  appearance  of  one  of 
the  many  torrents  which  rut^h  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea, 
and  the  sight  of  some  old  tower  crowning  a  bluff  upon  the 
shore.  These  relics  of  ancient  fortresses  are  pleasant  objects 
in  the  lonely  prospects,  since  they  carry  back  the  mind  to  one 
of  the  most  romantic,  though  least  known,  of  the  eras  of 
Sicilian  history.  Another  striking  object  which  draws  the 
attention  of  the  wanderer  through  this  solitary  region  is  the 
singular  aspect  of  a  little  village  on  a  hill-top,  which,  on  ac- 
count of  its  bleak  position,  about  fifty  years  since,  was  de- 
serted by  its  inhabitants,  who  erected  their  cottages  in  the 
sheltered  vale  below,  leaving  their  former  dwellings  to  de- 
cay. The  compact,  low  walls  of  this  group  of  gray  cottages 
are  conspicuous  in  their  desertion,  and  when  first  seen,  pre- 
sent, in  conjunction  with  the  country  around  them,  a  melan- 
choly though  not  displeasing  picture.  It  is  somewhat  start- 
ling to  the  unprepared  equestrian,  after  crossing  the  line  of 
beach  which  completes  his  dreary  ride,  to  find  himself  upon 
the  Mole  of  Girgenti,  which,  although  of  inconsiderable  ex- 

8 


170  SICILY. 

tent,  often  presents  a  scene  of  bustle  and  activity.  Lines  of 
galley-slaves  may  be  seen  repairing  the  mound,  the  clank  of 
their  fetters  blending  with  the  roar  of  the  waves,  vessels  of 
no  ordinary  burden  lying  off  the  shore  to  receive  their  car- 
goes, boats  plying,  and,  higher  up,  crowds  of  porters  trans- 
porting the  sulphur-cake,  the  great  article  of  export  here,  or 
arranging  it  in  long  piles  to  be  weighed.  As  he  leaves  this 
little  mart,  a  more  cheerful  country  at  once  presents  itself, 
and  a  level  and  well-travelled  road  echoes  cheerily  to  the 
steps  of  his  steed.  Small  droves  of  donkeys,  with  their  pan- 
niers filled  with  the  firmly  moulded  product  of  the  mine,  wind 
along  the  highway,  and  far  above  appears  the  Girgenti,  on 
the  summit  of  a  mountain.  Although  this,  like  most  of  the 
Sicilian  towns  when  viewed  from  afar,  presents  a  strong,  an- 
cient, and  really  picturesque  appearance,  when  more  inti- 
mately known  it  is  found  to  consist  of  narrow  and  filthy 
streets,  where  beggary  vaunts  its  wretchedness,  and  comfort  is 
almost  unknown  ;  where  a  splendid  church,  a  few  palaces,  or 
some  beautifully  located  convents,  are  in  saddening  contrast 
with  the  general  and  too  often  disgusting  tokens  of  neglect 
and  misery.  It  was  perfectly  refreshing  to  the  spirits  of  the 
strangers  to  find  themselves,  on  a  balmy  and  bright  morning, 
free  from  the  air  of  the  modern  town,  which  rose  command- 
ingly  above  them,  and  traversing  the  fertile  and  noble  plain 
upon  which  stand  the  antiquities  they  sought.  The  day,  in- 
deed, was  an  uncommon  one,  even  for  that  region.  The 
warm,  enervating  breath  of  a  mild  sirocco  wind  was  tempered 
by  the  sea-breeze.  The  light,  fleecy  clouds  of  a  summer  sky 
had  floated  down  to  the  very  edge  of  the  horizon,  and  the 
broad,  clear  canopy  of  heaven  was  one  boundless  expanse  of 
azure  ;  while  the  sun,  as  yet  devoid  of  the  intense  heat  of  the 
approaching  season,  shone  in  all  the  glory,  without  the  fervid 
heat,  of  a  southern  spring.     It  was  one  of  those  splendid  days 


AGRIGENTUM.  171 

which  bring,  to  such  as  are  blessed  with  health,  an  unaccount- 
able exhilaration — which  fill  up  the  measure  of  content,  and 
charm  the  senses  while  they  animate  the  soul.  The  field 
through  which  our  little  party  were  proceeding  was  vividly 
green  with  early  grain,  as  if  the  goddess  once  worshipped  in 
this  plain  still  delighted  to  clothe  it  with  the  emblems  of  her 
favor.  Over  this  thickly-woven  garniture  fell,  far  and  wide, 
the  shadows  of  innumerable  almond  and  olive-trees,  which 
studded,  for  a  great  distance,  the  plentiful  domain,  the  dark 
and  light  tints  of  their  foliage  intermingling  in  rich  variety. 
Here  stood  the  second  ancient  city  of  Sicily.  The  remains 
of  a  temple,  consecrated  to  Ceres  and  Proserpine,  have  shared 
the  fate  of  many  architectural  relics  of  past  ages,  in  being 
transformed  into  constituent  parts  of  a  church.  One  column 
of  what  is  called  Vulcan's  Temple  is  embedded  in  a  peasant's 
cottage,  and  the  only  other  remaining  one  rises  at  the  corner 
of  his  garden  wall.  Two  columnar  fragments,  and  the  stair- 
case of  the  temple  of  Esculapius,  are  in  a  like  situation.  But 
with  these  exceptions,  the  ruins  of  Agrigentum  exist  invio- 
late to  an  extraordinary  degree,  and  are  less  invaded  by  mod- 
ern and  irrelevant  circumstances  than  is  often  the  case  with 
the  antiquities  of  Europe.  The  first  in  tolerable  preserva- 
tion is  the  temple  of  Juno  Lucina.  Its  position  is  beautiful 
and  commanding  ;  and  the  foundation  of  the  internal  wall, 
thirteen  perfect  and  many  broken  colums  of  the  Doric  order, 
are  still  standing.  The  altar-base  is  also  discoverable,  and 
one  can  follow  the  corridors  in  their  whole  extent.  From  the 
little  esplanade  in  front,  a  view  of  vastness  and  beauty  ex- 
pands to  the  vision.  This  space  was  evidently  left  for  efi"ect ; 
and  a  few  ancient  benches  of  stone,  at  a  sufficient  distance  to 
command  a  view  of  the  whole  edifice,  suggest  how  much 
judgment  was  exercised  in  the  location  and  arrangement  of 
the  edifice.     This  spot  must  have  been  a  favorite  retreat  for 


172  SICILY. 

the  contemplative.  The  sea  spreads  itself  illimitably  on  the 
one  side,  and  all  the  space  around  is  one  luxuriant  valley, 
bounded  by  a  fine  ridge  of  mountains,  upon  one  of  which  the 
modern  town  of  Girgenti  now  stands,  while  directly  before 
the  spectator  rose,  with  a  simple  majesty  accordant  with  the 
spirit  of  the  scene,  the  noble  fabric  whose  vestiges  still 
awaken  admiration. 

"  One  disposed  to  be  fanciful,"  said  Vittorio,  as  they 
stood  enjoying  the  prospect,  "  might  almost  imagine  that  he 
heard  the  flutter  of  a  philosopher's  robe  in  this  early  and  in- 
vigorating breeze,  so  well  adapted  seems  the  spot  to  the  dig- 
nity of  thought.  And  may  we  not  reasonably  suppose,  that 
this  level  space,  before  so  beautiful  an  edifice,  has  often  been 
paced  by  the  slow  feet  of  sages,  as  they  sought,  according  to 
the  delightful  custom  of  antiquity,  mutually  to  impart  wis- 
dom, with  nature's  restoring  breath  playing  around,  and  art's 
noblest  trophies  rising  beside  them  ?  It  was  within  the  walls 
of  this  temple  that  the  precious  painting  of  Zeuxis,  in  which 
were  concentrated  the  charms  of  the  five  most  lovely  women 
of  Agrigentum,  was  preserved." 

"  It  is  a  fine  idea,  is  it  not,"  said  Isabel,  "  that  of  weaving 
into  one  perfect  whole  the  beauties  which  nature  has  scat- 
tered ?  There  is  poetry  in  the  thought.  So  may  we  gather 
the  volatile  light  of  pleasure  by  keeping  our  spirits  clear  and 
open,  that,  like  a  lens,  they  may  gather  the  scattered  rays, 
and  make  them  radiate  one  warm  beam  of  joy  upon  thd 
heart." 

"  And  there  is  philosophy  in  the  thought,  also,"  said  Yit- 
torio.  "  Thus,  too,  comes  to  us  wisdom  and  truth.  Men  err 
most  essentially  by  seeking  them  from  partial  sources  ;  one 
from  a  single  science,  another  from  nature  alone,  and  a  third 
from  an  abstract  theory.  Like  the  Grecian  painter,  we 
should  be  more  universal ;    and  combine  into  a  luminous 


AGRIGENTUM.  173 

whole  the  light  that  beams  from  the  wide  domain  of  creation, 
and  the  broad  universe  of  humanity.  We  should  roam,  like 
the  blessed  founder  of  a  pure  religion,  seeking  emblems  of 
the  good  and  the  true  in  the  lily  and  the  grass — in  the  hum- 
ble action  of  the  despised,  and  the  ostentatious  effort  of  the 
wealthy — in  the  aspect  of  childhood  and  the  events  of  time. 
Gleaning  thus  from  society  and  the  universe  the  garland  we 
should  weave  on  the  by-way  of  time,  like  the  painting  of 
Zeuxis,  would  blend  the  various  glories  which  men  too  often 
seek  singly,  and  therefore  find  inadequate." 

Passing  on  by  scattered  masses  of  the  ancient  walls,  in 
which  are  discoverable  the  niches  for  the  deposit  of  funeral 
urns,  the  next  temple  is  that  of  Concord,  the  most  perfect  of 
the  antiquities,  being  complete,  with  the  exception  of  the 
roof  It  is  situated  a  little  lower  than  that  of  Juno,  but  is 
still  sufficiently  elevated  to  command  from  its  top  the  same 
extent  and  variety  of  scenery.  At  the  distance  of  a  few  rods, 
a  line  of  low  wall-stones,  and  a  group  of  columnar  and  other 
fragments,  evidence  the  former  magnificence  of  the  temple  of 
Hercules  ;  and  farther  on,  two  or  three  enormous  capitals, 
and  the  foundation  layers  of  the  outer  wall  of  the  temple  of 
Jupiter  Olympicus,  prove  it  to  have  been  one  of  the  largest 
of  the  ancient  edifices  of  Sicily.  As  the  visitor  wanders  amid 
the  huge  mass  of  ruins,  he  discovers  in  the  midst  a  group  of 
stone-work,  in  which  a  little  attention  will  enable  him  to  de- 
cipher the  lineaments  and  frame  of  a  stupendous  giant.  Sev- 
eral other  remnants  of  this  kind  are  noticeable  among  the 
massive  blocks,  and  it  is  conjectured  that  these  monsters 
were  carved  to  form  a  secondary  row  of  pillars  in  this  grand 
structure.  In  a  pleasant  dale  below  this  heap  of  remains 
stand  three  chaste  columns  and  a  cornice,  all  that  exist  en- 
tire of  the  temple  of  Castor  and  Pollux.  A  square  massive 
tower,  of  unquestionable  antiquity,  in  the  vicinity,  is  known 


174  "    SICILY. 

as  the  tomb  of  Theron,  although  by  some  it  is  supposed  to  be 
the  monument  of  a  horse,  many  of  which  are  known  to  have 
been  erected  by  the  Agrigentines. 

After  many  delightful  hours  spent  in  viewing  these  va- 
rious objects,  Vittorio  suggested  that  they  should  repair  to 
the  convent  of  St.  Nicolo,  which  stands  upon  the  brow  of  a 
mountain  above  the  valley.  This  monastery  has,  for  many 
years,  been  deserted  by  the  Franciscan  fraternity,  to  whose 
patrimony  it  belongs  ;  but  it  is  still  visited  occasionally  by 
travellers,  on  account  of  the  fine  view  obtainable  from  its 
roof.  When  they  reached  this  point  of  observation,  the  pan- 
orama, canopied  by  a  brilliant  sky,  appeared  to  them  unpar- 
alleled. The  surface  of  the  distant  sea  was  unbroken  by  a 
single  sail,  but  the  line  of  foam  evidenced  that  its  wide  bosom 
was  stirred  far  out  by  the  free  wind.  The  dark  tint  of  the 
innumerable  ancient  olives  relieved  the  light  green  of  the 
almond-trees,  which  shared  with  them  the  extensive  plain. 
On  a  gradually  declining  strip  of  upland,  between  the  con- 
vent and  the  sea,  at  a  sufficient  distance  apart  to  give  due 
effect  to  each,  appeared  the  remains  of  the  city — Juno's  line 
of  pillars,  the  graceful  temple  of  Concord,  prominent  in  its 
completeness,  the  dim  masses  of  Jupiter  and  Hercules,  and, 
in  meek  beauty,  lightly  springing  from  below,  the  three  col- 
umns of  Castor  and  Pollux.  The  stone  of  which  these  tem- 
ples are  composed  is  not  of  a  firm  texture,  and  the  marine 
atoms  discernible  in  its  composition  prove  it  to  be  of  alluvial 
formation.  It  is  of  a  brownish,  or  clay  color,  which  contrasts 
finely  with  the  verdure  around,  and,  with  the  added  advan- 
tage of  the  lucid  atmosphere  peculiar  to  these  regions,  gives 
to  the  several  structures  an  exquisite  relief  in  the  landscape. 
The  notes  of  birds,  or  the  clear  chime  of  the  bells  from  the 
town  above,  were  the  only  sounds  which  disturbed  the  reflec- 


AGRIGENTUM.  175 

tions  of  the  strangers  as  thej  gazed  from  the  lofty  convent 
upon  the  scene  of  their  ramble. 

"Enterprise,"  observed  Frazier,  "well  directed,  in  the 
excavation  of  this  valley,  would  doubtless  bring  to  light 
many  valuable  relics  of  antiquity.  No  one  can  inspect  the 
meagre  collection  which  has  rewarded  the  comparatively 
trifling  labor  bestowed  here  in  seeking  for  vases,  without 
being  convinced  that  there  are  innumerable  unearthed  treas- 
ures lying  beneath  these  grain  fields." 

"  It  were  certainly  desirable,"  said  Vittorio,  "  not  only 
here,  but  at  Pompeii  and  Kome,  where  the  sight  of  such  slow 
and  childish  attempts  at  discovery,  in  a  sphere  in  which  one 
feels  there  is  so  much  to  seek,  is  certainly  provoking.  But 
how  admirably  are  these  antiquities  situated  to  convey  an 
impression  !  No  piles  of  wooden  building  environ  them. 
The  noise  and  filth  of  a  populous  town  obliges  not  the  travel- 
ler to  seek  them  by  moonlight,  as  is  the  case  in  the  Eternal 
City.  They  are  alone  with  nature.  As  we  look  upon  them 
thus,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  realizing  their  authenticity. 
Through  this  plain  whirled  the  ivory  chariots  of  the  Agrigen- 
tines,  drawn  by  horses  of  unrivalled  swiftness  and  beauty. 
Here  the  tyrant  Phalaris  practised  his  cruelties.  From  that 
line  of  tombs  hurried  the  fear-stricken  soldiers  of  Hannibal, 
when  the  sudden  thunder-storm  frightened  them  from  their 
sacrilegious  purpose.  A  little  more  than  four  centuries  be- 
fore the  Christian  era  a  population  of  eight  hundred  thousand 
souls  inhabited  this  rich  valley,  now  rendered  picturesque  by 
a  few  remnants  of  the  majestic  temples  of  their  gods.  Over 
all  else  obscurity  has  drawn  a  veil.  And  long  may  these 
beautiful  relics  lift  their  time-worn  shapes  from  this  verdant 
plain,  to  solemnize  the  fresh  exuberance  of  nature  with  the 
emblems  of  departed  time,  and  awaken  the  thoughtful  yet 


176  SICILY. 

pleasing  emotions  with  which  we  contemplate  the  mystery  of 
the  past !" 

The  return  route  from  Girgenti  to  the  capital  by  the 
most  direct  way,  affords  a  good  opportunity  to  judge  of  the 
interior  features  of  the  island.  Perhaps  there  are  few  coun- 
tries, of  similar  extent,  where  a  greater  contrast  is  observable 
than  that  between  the  coast  and  interior  of  Sicily.  Along 
the  sea,  and  about  Etna,  the  aspect  is  fertile  and  delightful, 
and  the  stranger  who  should  circumnavigate  the  island  dur- 
ing fine  weather,  would  receive  an  impression  of  the  richness 
and  beauty  of  the  country  which  might  realize  his  most  ro- 
mantic dreams  of  the  luxurious  south.  Yet  farther  back, 
bare  hills  and  wild  torrents  constitute  the  predominant 
scenery,  sometimes  brightened  and  diversified  by  patches  of 
wild  flowers.  The  course  which  our  pilgrims  pursued  to  ex- 
pedite their  return  led  them  through  long  tracks  of  bleak 
pasturage,  and  they  crossed  more  than  thirty  times  the  same 
circuitous  Jiumare,  then  shrunk  to  comparatively  narrow  di- 
mensions ;  but  when  at  all  swollen  by  the  winter's  rains, 
presenting  a  complete  barrier  to  the  traveller's  progress. 
Yet,  amidst  these  unproductive  parts  of  the  island,  there  are 
still  presented  striking  evidences  of  its  natural  resources. 
The  low  mounds  and  light  smoke  of  the  sulphur  mines,  of 
which  there  are  several  of  apparently  inexhaustible  material 
in  Sicily,  are  seen  at  intervals,  giving  signs  of  life  to  some 
lonely  ridge  of  hills.  Still  it  is  a  relief  to  emerge,  after  a 
long  day's  travel,  from  this  almost  deserted  domain,  and 
strike  upon  the  fine  road  which  runs  through  the  island.  The 
occasional  appearance  of  the  country  guards,  who  generally 
move  abroad  in  pairs,  well  mounted,  give  an  assurance  of  the 
neighborhood  of  more  civilized  provinces.  These  campiei-i, 
as  they  are  called,  are  selected  from  the  inhabitants  of  each 
village,  and  their  commander  is  responsible  for  all  robberies 


A  GRIGENTUM.  \  77 

on  the  highway  durmg  the  day,  an  arrangement  which  has 
proved  very  effectual  in  preserving  the  rights  of  travellers. 
In  the  neighborhood  of  Palermo,  a  broad  valley,  covered  with 
rocks  and  olive-trees,  indicates  the  scene  of  a  noted  brigand 
fight,  in  which  seven  of  these  desperadoes  succeeded  in  keep- 
ing at  bay  a  large  number  of  troops  and  nearly  a  hundred 
peasants  for  several  hours,  and  at  length  five  effected  their 
escape.  Another  scene  of  interest  in  the  vicinity  is  a  village, 
founded  by  a  Greek  colony,  where  one  of  the  dialects  of  that 
language  is  still  spoken,  and  on  feast  days  the  costume  of  the 
nation  w^orn.  It  is  one  of  the  customs  peculiar  to  this 
spot,  and  a  similar  and  more  distant  settlement,  that  the 
priests  are  allowed  to  marry.  In  the  light  of  a  fine  afternoon 
the  vale  of  Palermo  was  once  again  revealed  to  the  longing 
eyes  of  Isabel,  and  she  could  not  but  compare  the  mere 
curiosity  with  which  she  first  greeted  the  distant  city,  with 
the  homefelt  emotions  which  now  filled  her  heart,  as  at  the 
presence  of  a  cherished  friend. 

8* 


O  welcome  guest,  though  unexpected  here!  Cowper. 

TO  acquire  true  impressions,  the  traveller  should  revisit 
scenes  of  natural  interest  and  beauty,  and  behold  them 
in  different  moods  of  mind  and  at  different  seasons  of  the 
year.  If  this  is  true  generally,  it  is  particularly  so  in  regard 
to  many  parts  of  Southern  Europe,  and  especially  of  the 
island  of  Sicily.  A  gloomy  sky  or  chilly  wind  often  dispels 
all  charm  from  her  fairest  prospect ;  and  although  the  peren- 
nial verdure  of  the  fertile  regions  gives  them  at  all  times  a 
cheerful  aspect,  yet  it  is  wonderful  how  the  feelings  of  the 
stranger,  who  stands  beneath  the  cloudless  sky,  and  in  the 
clear  sunlight  of  spring  or  autumn,  contrasts  with  those 
which  he  experiences  when  the  scene  is  veiled  by  the  winter 
rain,  or  parched  by  the  heat  of  mid-summer.  Our  pilgrims 
were  conscious  of  this,  when,  for  the  second  time,  they  ap- 
proached that  part  of  the  island  which,  in  the  view  of  the 
scientific,  presents  the  greatest  amount  of  interest.  One  of 
those  beautiful  English  3'achts  which  may  occasionally  be 
seen  cruising  on  the  Mediterranean  coast,  had  borne  them,  in 
a  few  hours,  from  Palermo  to  Catania.  Before  reaching  their 
destination,  they  surveyed  from  the  sea  those  remarkable 


THE  REUNION.  179 

masses  of  basaltic  rock  which  rise  near  the  shore,  and  were 
obviously  the  offspring  of  Etna.  To  ascend  this  mountain 
was  the  object  of  their  visit,  and,  on  landing,  Isabel  noted 
with  delight  the  rapidity  with  which  vegetation  unfolded,  and 
the  universal  hue  of  spring  which  had  robed  tlie  whole  adja- 
cent country.  At  such  a  period,  the  singular  prevalence  of 
the  lava  is  more  striking.  Indeed,  nothing  but  familiarity 
with  this  wonderful  material  prevents  its  appearance  in  such 
abundance  from  exciting  surprise.  The  entire  domain,  for 
many  leagues  around  the  volcano,  bears  witness  to  the  fre- 
quency and  extent  of  its  eruptions.  The  lava  here  lies 
heaped  in  rocky  masses ;  there,  reduced  to  powder,  it  consti- 
tutes the  road;  decomposed  by  time,  it  forms  the  soil  in 
which  every  variety  of  tree  and  vegetable  flourish  ;  shaped  by 
the  chisel,  it  appears  in  the  form  of  doorways  and  pillars, 
while  its  rough  and  unhewn  fragments  serve  for  the  walls  of 
plantations. 

The  road  to  Nicolosi,  which  constitutes  the  first  stage  of 
the  ascent,  is  bordered  with  vineyards,  intersected  with 
streams  of  lava,  of  later  origin  than  those  which  compose  the 
soil.  With  the  exception  of  these  dark  ridges,  and  the  fine 
black  dust  which  flies  around  the  traveller,  there  is  little  to 
impress  him  with  the  idea  that  he  is  passing  over  a  country 
once  devastated  by  a  volcanic  inundation.  Yet,  directly  be- 
fore his  eye  rise  two  seemingly  low  mounds,  with  separate 
peaks,  but  joined  at  their  bases,  of  a  dull  red  color,  half 
covered  with  shrubbery.  This  is  Monte  Rossi,  whence  issued 
the  fatal  streams  of  1669.  After  several  hours'  repose,  our 
travellers  found  themselves  beyond  the  village,  and  moving 
slowly  towards  the  desired  summit.  It  was  night.  The  sky 
was  clear  and  the  air  calm.  No  sound  but  the  heavy  tread 
of  the  mules,  through  the  sand-like  path,  disturbed  the  deep 
stillness  of  the  hour.     The  light  of  a  lantern,  carried  by  a 


180  aiciLY. 

boy  in  advance  of  tlie  guide,  glimmered  upon  the  huge  blocks 
of  lava,  which  were  v/idely  scattered  around,  like  the  waves 
of  the  mighty  sea,  petrified  in  some  moment  of  convulsion, 
and  dyed  with  the  ebon  blackness  of  a  storm-cloud.  Occa- 
sionally a  meteor  flashed  athwart  the  star-gemmed  sky,  or 
a  breeze  from  above  swept  fitfully  by.  There  was  something 
indescribably  solemn  in  thus  seeking  the  summit  of  one  of 
earth's  most  venerable  mountains  in  the  solitude  and  shadow 
of  night,  and  for  some  time  they  continued  to  progress  silent 
ly,  till  the  count  observed  to  Frazier,  "  We  have  seen  many 
antiquities,  but  none  of  them  can  vie  in  age  with  this  moun- 
tain. It  was  sought  by  the  wise  men  of  old,  not  less  than  by 
the  inquirers  of  our  own  age.  It  is  celebrated  by  the  earliest 
poets.  Pindar  sang  its  wonders,  and  the  mythology  of  a 
later  epoch  accounted  for  its  mysterious  movements  by  the 
theory  of  the  Cyclops,  who,  it  was  fabled,  were  forging  the 
armor  of  Yulcan  beneath  yonder  cone." 

'•And  to  us  it  remains  almost  as  much  of  a  mystery," 
said  Frazier,  "  in  many  essential  respects.  As  to  its  history, 
it  seems  to  me  we  can  best  read  it  in  the  various  strata  of 
lava  around  us,  some  the  production  of  remote  ages,  some  not 
yet  cooled  by  the  upper  air.  Who  can  survey  its  enormous 
base,  and  note  the  springs  generated  in  its  bosom,  the  many 
colored  minerals  encrusted  on  its  surface,  the  sulphureous 
masses  embedded  in  its  sides,  the  fantastic  ridges  clingiug 
around  it,  the  masses  it  has  hurled  into  the  sea,  the  snow 
upon  its  heights,  the  blaze  from  its  crater,  and  the  infinite 
variety  of  trees  and  plants  serenely  growing  over  its  wide 
breast,  without  acknowledging  it  to  be  one  of  the  greatest 
wonders  of  this  wonderful  creation?" 

Having  crossed  the  woody  region,  an  extensive  tract  thin- 
ly covered  with  large  ilexes,  with  few  branches,  and  almost 
destitute  of  foliage,  they  passed  a  space  of  more  difiicult  pas- 


THE  REUNION.  igi 

sage,  from  the  broken  fragments  of  lava  and  tortuous  chan- 
nels between  them,  and  came  to  a  broad  snow  plain,  whose 
hard  and  slippery  surface  afforded  an  uncertain  foothold,  and 
where  the  cold,  keen  wind,  and  extreme  rarification  of  the 
air,  warned  them  that  the  trials  attendant  upon  the  expedi- 
tion had  not  been  wholly  exaggerated.  This  sloping  area 
reaches  to  the  base  of  the  cone.  As  they  moved  towards  it, 
the  smoke  burst  in  heavy  volumes  from  its  centre,  the  dense 
column  ever  and  anon  reddening  with  a  deep  crimson  flash, 
which  rose  with  a  kind  of  supernatural  glare,  throwing  a 
dazzling  light  over  the  snow,  and  looming  through  the  clear 
atmosphere  with  a  momentary  but  startling  brilliancy.  The 
young  moon  appeared,  like  a  large  golden  crescent,  hanging 
on  the  horizon,  w^ien  they  left  the  last  refuge,  called  the 
Casa  Inglese^  and  commenced  climbing  toward  the  crater 
over  heaps  of  crumbling  lava.  As  they  were  seated  away 
from  the  immediate  influence  of  the  suffocatimr  exhalation 
upon  the  edge  of  the  boiling  abyss,  dawn  began  to  glimmer 
along  the  sky,  and  far  beneath  them,  at  the  horizon's  edge, 
the  sun,  appearing  like  an  enormous  globe  of  fire,  seemed  to 
start  from  the  mountains  of  Calabria,  scattering  over  the 
small  fleecy  clouds  every  variety  of  gorgeous  tint,  and  bath- 
ing the  sea  and  hill-tops  in  light.  Then  felt  the  lonely  spec- 
tators on  the  summit  of  Etna,  the  sublimity  of  their  position. 
Volcanic  mounds  rose  to  their  gaze,  like  ant-hills,  over  the 
whole  mountain.  Sicily  was  spread  beneath  them — its  moun- 
tains, cities,  and  islands,  dwindled  to  the  dimensions  of 
minutely  pictured  objects.  Syracuse  was  visible  on  the 
shore ;  Castro  Giovanni  among  the  hills.  They  descried 
Malta,  and  even  the  distant  Adriatic,  and  the  shadow  of  the 
cone  of  Etna  falling  like  a  mighty  pyramid  over  the  southern 
side  of  the  island.  Who  can  describe  the  emotions  excited 
by  such  a  landscape  ?     They  are  part  of  that  poetry  of  life 


182  SICILY. 

which  whispers  in  mystic  hut  thrilling  tones  of  a  spirit  in  the 
human  breast,  above  the  destiny  of  earth,  and  immortal  as 
the  stars — a  spirit  which 

"  Has  power  to  make 
Our  noisy  years  seem  moments  in  the  being 
Of  the  eternal  silence." 

"  I  am  fond  of  analogies,"  said  Isabel,  as  they  descended 
the  last  lava  plain — "  especially  between  man  and  nature.  Is 
not  the  volcanic  soil  of  this  region  like  the  temperament  of 
the  people  ?  These  rocks  are  formed  by  a  sudden  convulsion 
at  once,  and  momently ;  so  the  feelings  of  the  children  of  the 
South  mould  themselves  into  action  immediately ;  quick, 
fervent,  and  impetuous,  they  rush  forth  to  results.  In  north- 
ern countries,  the  slow  processes  of  years  form  the  granite  ribs 
of  the  hills,  and  the  sons  of  those  climes  are  contented  with 
regular,  reflective,  and  gradually  matured  feeling." 

"  And  remember,"  said  the  count,  "  the  crystals  found  in 
the  quickly  smouldered  furnace  are  often  as  clear  and  beau- 
tiful as  the  stalactite  created  by  the  slow-dropping  water 
through  countless  years." 

The  warm  season  had  now  commenced  ;  and  our  travel- 
lers found  the  change  from  the  still  brooding  heat  and  scorch- 
ing sirocco  of  the  capital,  to  the  breezy  confines  of  Messina, 
delightfully  refreshing.  There  is  a  certain  melancholy, 
thaugh  not  displeasing  influence,  in  the  advent  of  a  Southern 
summer.  The  long  days,  when  the  heat  forbids  active  exer- 
cise abroad,  and  enjoins  quiet  at  home,  following  each  other 
in  bright  yet  monotonous  succession,  induce  a  physical 
languor  which  begets  a  dreamy  mood.  The  very  brilliancy 
of  the  weather,  unbroken  for  weeks  by  a  single  change, 
chastens  the  buoyancy  which  the  variety  of  other  seasons 
awakens,  and  the  many  hours  that  are  passed  in  the  airy  soli- 


THE  REUNION.  183 

tudo  of  lofty  apartments,  are  rather  calculated  to  subdue  than 
excite.  The  siesta  and  the  bath  take  the  place  of  the  opera 
and  the  promenade.  Repose  becomes  a  luxury  ;  and,  thrown 
back  upon  itself,  the  mind  is  prone  to  quiet  musing,  and  the 
imagination  to  soothing  flights.  Never  had  this  season  dawned 
so  richly  upon  Isabel,  and  yet  its  music  was  the  saddest  strain 
which  renewed  nature  had  ever  breathed  upon  her  spirit. 
She  found  herself  at  the  point  whence  her  journeyings  had 
commenced,  and  yet  she  was  apparently  no  nearer  their  ob- 
ject. From  the  window  of  their  apartment  on  the  Marina, 
she  watched  for  hours  the  varying  tints  which  played  upon 
the  opposite  mountains  of  Calabria ;  or,  tracing  the  dwarfed 
line  of  contiguous  buildings,  called  to  mind  the  earthquakes 
which  had  transformed  that  peaceful  landscape  into  a  scene 
of  terror  and  destruction,  the  effects  of  which  are  still  so  pal- 
pable. But  disappointment  shadowed  her  most  tranquil 
moments.  In  vain  the  count  planned  the  most  pleasant  ex- 
cursions. They  charmed  but  momentarily.  They  had  often 
followed,  in  the  calm  light  of  eventide,  the  long,  curving 
beach,  formed,  according  to  classic  fable,  by  the  cycle  of 
Saturn,  from  the  town  to  the  Faro,  and  thence  viewed  the 
massive  square  rock  on  the  opposite  coast,  and  the  gurgling 
currents  near — the  once  dreaded  dangers  of  the  deep — the 
Scylla  and  Charybdis  of  antiquity ;  or  from  some  favorable 
point  watched  the  twilight  gather  slowly  over  the  beautiful 
hills  which  closely  environ  the  town ;  or  noted  the  splendid 
chiaro  of  the  atmosphere,  which  is  nowhere  more  strikingly 
obvious  than  in  this  part  of  the  island.  These  peaceful 
evenings,  however,  solaced  Isabel,  and  she  often  returned 
from  such  excursions  re-animated  by  the  exercise ;  and  as 
they  sat  in  the  stone  balcony,  inhaling  the  invigorating  breeze 
as  it  swept  through  the  Faro,  and  watching  the  lights  of  the 
j&shermen's  boats  as  their  red  glare  flashed  over  the  calm 


184  SICILY. 

tide  of  the  harbor,  the  cheering  words  of  her  uncle,  and  the 
tender  assiduities  of  her  lover,  failed  not  to  renew  her  hopes 
and  renovate  her  spirits. 

On  one  occasion  thej  started  on  their  afternoon  expedi- 
tion in  an  unusually  cheerful  mood.  Vittorio  was  in  high 
glee,  because  he  had  received  intelligence  that  a  party  of 
travellers  had  landed  some  weeks  since  at  Syracuse,  and  hav- 
ing explored  most  of  the  island,  arrived  at  Palermo,  and  were 
on  the  point  of  visiting  Messina ;  and  among  them  he  hoped 
was  the  father  of  Isabel.  Frazier  was  elated  from  anticipat- 
ing the  arrival  of  an  American  frigate,  the  commander  of 
which  was  his  intimate  friend ;  while  Isabel,  having  in- 
stinctively caught  something  of  the  blitheness  of  her  com- 
panions, reciprocated  all  their  words  of  encouragement,  and 
smiled  at  every  ebullition  of  their  kindly  wit.  Their  object 
on  this  occasion  was  to  visit  one  of  the  highest  hills,  where 
stands  the  telegraph,  commanding  the  finest  prospect  in  the 
vicinity.  After  following  for  several  hours  a  winding  road, 
overlooking  precipitous  and  umbrageous  glens,  and  bounded 
by  yet  more  lofty  hills,  thickly  covered  with  fern,  they 
reached  the  desired  spot,  and  beheld  a  scene  of  transcendent 
beauty.  On  the  one  side  were  the  Lipari  islands,  rising  at 
intervals  from  the  sea,  the  cone-like  mound  of  Stromboli  con- 
spicuous amid  the  group  ;  opposite  was  the  long  range  of 
Calabrian  hills,  and  below  the  Faro,  town,  and  bay,  consti- 
tuting a  rich  and  finely-varied  view,  every  feature  of  which 
was  vividly  distinct  at  that  clear  and  tranquil  hour.  They 
had  but  rapidly  taken  cognizance  of  the  several  phases  of 
the  picture,  when  it  acquired  a  new  and  unexpected  interest. 
Around  the  point  of  the  Faro  appeared  the  American  frigate, 
her  majestic  form  slowly  moving  before  the  wind,  and  her 
well-known  flag  gaily  flaunting  in  the  breeze  j  and  a  moment 


THE  REUNION.  185 

after  a  steam-packet  shot  rapidly  through,  her  smoke  stream- 
ing far  along  the  horizon. 

Isabel,  after  returning  from  this  excursion,  was  scarcely 
seated  in  her  favorite  balcony  ere  Vittorio  entered,  with  a 
look  of  delight  which  instantly  awakened  the  expectancy  of 
his  companion. 

"  I  have,"  said  he,  "  at  length  once  more  encountered  my 
Malta  friend,  and  with  your  permission  will  bring  him  here 
to  pass  the  evening  with  us." 

Isabel  checked  the  expression  of  disappointment  which 
rose  to  her  lips,  and  signified  her  assent. 

An  hour  elapsed  before  the  count's  return.  Frazier  was 
so  occupied  in  examining,  through  his  glass,  the  equipments 
of  the  frigate,  which  was  anchored  opposite  the  window,  and 
Isabel  was  so  lost  in  her  own  thoughts,  that  they  did  not 
notice  his  entrance,  or  that  he  was  accompanied  by  his  friend. 
They  approached  the  balcony  and  paused.  Isabel  listlessly 
turned  her  head,  and  her  eye  instantly  met  that  of  the 
stranger.  There  was  a  quick,  short  cry  of  recognition,  and 
the  next  moment  she  was  in  the  arms  of  her  father. 


A  few  days  subsequent  the  dawn  broke  with  more  than 
ordinary  beauty  over  the  landscape  which  greeted  the  eyes 
of  the  pilgrims  on  their  first  arrival.  The  morning  was  serene 
and  cool.  The  blue  waters  of  the  harbor  were  scarcely  rip- 
pled. Far  away,  upon  the  undulating  hills,  sunlight  and 
shade  played  fantastically ;  and  the  hum  of  re-awakened  life 
rose  with  a  scarcely  audible  murmur.  Suddenly  volumes  of 
smoke  rolled  from  the  dark  sides  of  the  frigate,  a  sheet  of 
flame  shot  momently  through  the  vapor,  and  then,  deep,  loud, 


186  BICILY. 

and  solemn,  eclioed  the  thunder  of  the  report.  Cloud  after 
cloud  wound  gracefully  upward,  and  coujomed  above  her 
masts,  and  the  attentive  eye  could  occasionally  trace  a  per- 
fect circle  of  smoke,  till  it  floated  into  the  depths  of  the  sky. 
This  parting  salute  was  not  immediately  followed  by  those 
rapid  manoeuvres  requisite  to  put  the  vessel  in  motion.  It 
was  evident,  from  the  arrangements  visible,  that  some  cere- 
mony was  to  be  performed  before  her  canvas  was  spread  to 
the  breeze.  Shaded  by  a  broad  canopy,  the  oflicers  were 
composedly  grouped  upon  the  polished  quarter-deck,  and 
near  by  were  the  now  united  pilgrims,  while  below  them  the 
men  presented  gallant  lines,  standing  uncovered,  and  in  such 
silent  array,  that  the  flutter  of  the  national  banner  might  be 
distinctly  heard.  Beneath  that  emblem  of  her  far  distant 
country  the  marriage  vows  of  Isabel  were  uttered,  and,  at 
the  conclusion  of  the  rite,  the  noble  vessel  stretched  proudly 
away  for  the  neighboring  shores  of  Italy.  It  is  only  when 
we  leave  the  scene  of  a  pilgrimage  that  we  perfectly  realize 
its  interesting  and  characteristic  features.  As  Isabel  watched 
the  diminishing  headlands  of  the  island,  the  experience  of 
her  sojourn  was  renewed  in  the  retrospective  glance  of 
memory.  She  recalled  the  peculiar  and  lovely  scenery  which 
had  so  often  cheered  her  sight.  She  reverted  to  the  number- 
less beings  who  were  content  to  drudge  on  in  the  monoto- 
nous circuit  of  a  few  dim  thoughts,  and  the  dark  requisition 
of  p,  narrow  creed,  and  the  countless  victims  of  ignorance 
and  poverty  that  grope  abjectly  amid  such  ennobling  scenes 
of  picturesqueness  and  beauty.  She  thought  of  the  noble 
relics  of  the  past  that  still  sanctify  the  soil,  "and  the  acts  of 
kindness  and  words  of  sympathy  which  had  solaced  her  exile. 
The  mingled  remembrances  grew  more  vivid  as  the  real  pic- 
ture became  dim  ;  and,  with  her  farewell  glance,  she  breathed 
an  aspiration,  spontaneously  inspired  in  every  susceptible 


THE  REUNION.  187 

mind,  in  taking  leave  of  Sicily,  tliat  tlie  time  may  come  when 
the  rich  resources  and  beautiful  garniture  with  which  nature 
has  blessed  the  ancient  island  may  be  hallowed  by  a  worthier 
heritage  of  human  freedom,  intelligencCj  and  virtue. 


THE    END. 


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This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


^^\W 


49V^^ 


tmmi   MJ\Y 


jD  21-100m-9,'48(B399sl6)476 


IV 


if'tf 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  LIBRARY 


